Today, not ‘Juneteenth,’ is the real date on which slavery ended in the US
Christopher Tremoglie
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On this day, one of our country’s greatest sins, slavery, was abolished in the United States. As much focus recently has centered on “Juneteenth” as a holiday to celebrate the end of slavery, that is historically inaccurate. It was not until the ratification of the 13th Amendment on Dec. 6, 1865, that slavery was legally abolished.
Unfortunately, not many people know this fact. Through the use of Democratic propaganda, pop culture references, postings on social media, and general ignorance of history, most people have no idea about the significance of Dec. 6. Instead, they associate Juneteenth with the end of slavery.
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Given the constant references to slavery in 2022, even though it ended over 150 years ago, one would think that the date on which slavery officially ended would receive more attention. It’s puzzling and raises the question: Why don’t more people, especially those who claim to be the most devout social justice warriors, know the correct date when slavery truly ended?
As president, Abraham Lincoln led the movement to pass the 13th Amendment, even though efforts had started decades earlier. It was an effort that would ultimately cost him his life. While campaigning for office, Lincoln lamented the quagmire that slavery represented in the country. He realized its horrors and the complex challenges in ending it.
“In the first place, I insist that our fathers did not make this nation half slave and half free or part slave and part free. I insist that they found the institution of slavery existing here. They did not make it so, but they left it so because they knew of no way to get rid of it at that time,” Lincoln said during a debate with Stephen Douglas in 1858.
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Given its historical significance, there should be a concerted effort to recognize Dec. 6. It’s an important date in our history and, arguably, the history of the world. Millions of people of African descent were finally liberated. The 13th Amendment righted the wrongs that began centuries ago when African kings captured men, women, and children and sold them to Europeans. It ended our country’s, and humanity’s, gravest sin. But, while the bondage of Africans started in Africa, it was the U.S. and Lincoln’s efforts to ratify the 13th Amendment that finally ended it. Let us honor Dec. 6 as a true celebration of freedom and liberty.