Friday, June 28, 2019

CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH!

On June 19, 1865, the slaves who were living in Texas got the word that they were free - two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. It is the oldest national celebration of the ending of slavery in the United States celebration. It was on this day that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with the news that the war had end and the slaves were now free. 

General Granger read to the people in Texas General Order Number 3:

" The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation form the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.

Today, a video was made of me talking about how our family's reunion lead to discovery of our connection to Jesuit of Maryland Province. In 2004, our family, the Hicks/Estes family was planning a family reunion when we discovered 272 people including our Butler Family had been enslaved by the Jesuits of Maryland Province. The video will be put on a website hosted by the New England Historic Genealogical Society:

http://gu272americanancestors.org/ 


If you think you descend from the 272 people enslaved by the Jesuits of Maryland, then check out this website to locate your ancestors. 

CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH NOT JULY 4TH!!!

source: Juneteeeth.com