This image of Galveston was taken on Nov. 23, 2022, from the International Space Station as it orbited 224 miles above Earth. While President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, word that enslaved people were free did not reach Galveston until well into 1865. When Union troops arrived that year to share the news, spontaneous celebrations broke out in African American churches, homes, and other gathering places. As years passed, the picnics, barbecues, parades, and other celebrations that sprang up to commemorate June 19th became more formalized as freed men and women purchased land, or “emancipation grounds,” to hold annual Juneteenth celebrations.
Related posts
-
‘Aurora’ the baby falcon plush toy takes flight again as SpaceX Crew-9 zero-g indicator
A tradition borrowed from the Russian space program has now physically crossed over to an American... -
NASA Astronaut Nick Hague Boosts Human Health Research in Space
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 commander Nick Hague is pictured in his flight suit during training at SpaceX... -
Liftoff! NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Launches to International Space Station
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft is launched on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9...