Juneteenth Emancipation Day

Juneteenth, established as a federal holiday in 2021 and celebrated on June 19, commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas first found out they were free. In this one-page social studies worksheet, students will read background information on the Emancipation Proclamation, the end of the Civil War, and the establishment of the Juneteenth holiday. Learners will then use the text to answer several comprehension and analysis questions. This exercise is a great way to introduce middle school students to some of the challenges the people of the United States faced trying to abolish slavery after the Civil War and how Juneteenth came to be established as a national holiday.