Primary Source Analysis: The Juneteenth Emancipation

On June 19, 1865, U.S. Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, announcing that the approximately 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. This day of emancipation is now celebrated as Juneteenth. Introduce learners to some key excerpts from this historic primary source document with this one-page social studies worksheet. As they read the excerpts and answer comprehension and analysis questions, students will be guided to explore the many complex messages in the text of the order announcing that formerly enslaved people in Texas were now free. For more background information on the Emancipation Proclamation, the end of the Civil War, and the Juneteenth holiday, be sure to check out the Juneteenth Emancipation Day worksheet.