Today we celebrate Juneteenth and the ending of slavery in the United States. While this is only the second time it has been celebrated as a national holiday, the occasion has been memorialized throughout the country since that fateful day over 150 years ago.
But what is the history behind Juneteenth and the journey to liberty for all that it represents?
It was January 1st, 1863. Abraham Lincoln could not stop his hand from trembling. The source of his exhaustion was the White House New Year’s Day party earlier that day, during which he’d shaken hundreds of hands. Trembling or not, the document in front of him needed his signature.
