President Lincoln is popularly given credit for freeing the slaves in America with the Emancipation Proclamation. Though he personally did not support the use of slavery, his reasons for creating this proclamation were more political and military, than out of an advocacy for human and civil rights. His order, given as President and Commander in Chief of the military, did free people being held as slaves, but only in states that were in active rebellion against the Union. The Emancipation Proclamation gave military forces the authority and power to liberate slaves as they continued to gain ground in the South states.

But what does this have to do with Juneteenth? What is Juneteenth you might ask?  read more »