Rediscovering an 1886 Emancipation celebration in Wisconsin, how it honors history, along with understanding the modern recognition of Juneteenth in the state

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, marks the historic emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the U.S. But a hidden celebration is revealing Wisconsin’s place in the history of Juneteenth.

June 19, 1865 is commemorated during Juneteenth celebrations across the country. It is the day 2,000 Union troops along with General Gordon Granger shared General Order No. 3. The announcement marking freedom for more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas. It was also 2.5 years after Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which had little effect due to the Civil War, which was fought from April 12, 1861 through May 26, 1865. Read more about the Civil War and the soldiers who called the state home here.  

Wisconsin’s hidden connection

Wisconsin has a longtime connection to early Emancipation celebrations, and residents in Delavan recently found a little-known piece of history.

Newspapers from 1886 detail a local emancipation celebration after the end of slavery. The report indicates close to 200 people attended and many came from the surrounding area, including Beloit, Janesville, and Rockford, Illinois.

The event organizers held a reading of the Emancipation proclamation, speeches were given, there was music, and a dance.

More than 130 years later, the fight to make June 19 a federal holiday kicked into high gear. It’s the summer of 2020, when protests are growing around the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. By the following June, Congress passed a bill, and President Joe Biden signed it into law.

Juneteenth recognizes the past, but it’s also a day to look toward a progressive future. Celebrations across the state give a platform to the voices of advocates that might not be frequently heard.

Read more about the history of Emancipation Day here.

And find an event for you and your family here.