Juneteenth
As long as Juneteenth has been celebrated, the focus has been on Texas. I’d like to change that up a little bit and mention the first African Americans to reach the western U.S. as free persons in a free country. Before I get into that though, allow me to explain why Texas was the “birthplace” of Juneteenth. Simply put, it’s because Galveston, Texas was the last known place to receive news of the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War. Galveston received the news from General Gordon Granger about two years after Emancipation. Slavery was outlawed in the U.S. and Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, began its similarly slow march across time and the states. Finally it arrived, and we’re glad it did. We in America love our holidays about freedom. We celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Emancipation Day, and Independence Day.
Despite the slow travel of the message of freedom for all, there were some African Americans who made the journey west as early as…
1826. Peter Ranne may have been one of the first free African Americans to relocate to California, according to the Bancroft Library. Peter arrived with the Jedediah Smith expedition of 1826.
1848. Many other African Americans were enticed to move to California in pursuit of gold during the Gold Rush of 1848. Sadly, the “California Fugitive Slave Act” of 1852 made living in California risky because it allowed “slaves” to be reclaimed.
1855. In 1855, another African American was recorded to have lived near Solano County, California. His name was Adam Willis.
1870. John Howell, probably the first African American in Nevada, is documented in an 1870 Nevada census as a property owner.
1871. Thomas Detter, an African American, served on a Nevada jury.
1824. As early as 1824, Utah received James Beckwourth, an African American trapper, who traded furs and explored new territory.
1847. In 1847, Jane Elizabeth Manning James, a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, arrived in Utah with her husband Isaac, and sons Silas and Sylvester. Jane is a notable character in the history of the state and the church because she petitioned for her family to be allowed to receive ordinances in the temple which were not yet granted to African Americans.
1852. Unlike California, Utah was more politically progressive in 1852. The Utah legislature drew up “An Act In Relation To Service”. The Utah “Servant Code” defined slaves as servants, and required schooling for servants. Education was incredibly compassionate, considering states like North Carolina had enacted laws prohibiting teaching slaves to read or write. The Utah “Servant Code” predated Susan Clark’s attendance in an Iowa integrated school by 16 years; it predated Ruby Bridges’ attendance in school by over 100 years. Also, Utah never required segregation in schools.
Now, in 2025, you may be asking yourself, “How should I go about celebrating Freedom Day?”
Do it like many of the people who first celebrated it: with music, food, parades, and fireworks.
Xenosthesia.com 