The Juneteenth holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when the Union army arrived in Texas bearing federal orders proclaiming the end of slavery. The orders arrived nearly two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation declared that enslaved people living in the secessionist Confederate states were now free.
Learn more through the National Archives, where you can view a digital copy of the Emancipation Proclamation that was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. You can also check out the City’s reading list on Juneteenth, racial equity and social justice.
In July 2020, the Mayor and Council approved a resolution making Rockville the first municipality in Maryland to recognize Juneteenth as a paid city holiday.
Event Info
2024 event details coming soon!