Juneteenth 2025

June 19^th marks the day General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom for enslaved persons in Texas two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas on the morning of June 19, 1865, with four regiments from the United States Colored Troops – the 20^th, 28^th, 29^th, and 31^st USCT regiments. Some of the soldiers had helped to secure Richmond the capital of the Confederacy and were present for Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. These troops were responsible for enforcing the emancipation of enslaved people and overseeing the beginning of reconstruction. Join the Museum on June 19, 2025 at 11 am for a program commemorating the work of the USCT. The Museum will welcome guests to participate in the program by reading names from the regiments below of soldiers who were with General Granger in Texas and a sneak preview of the Museum Renovation site at 1pm.