The slaves in Texas weren’t the last freed. Slavery didn’t end until December 6, 1865. We’re celebrating the wrong date.
Originally published on June 19, 2021 — the first official Juneteenth federal holiday — Peter Schiff examines the historical record behind the date and argues that June 19th was never the day slavery ended in America. The slaves freed in Galveston, Texas on that date were not the last to be emancipated — approximately 50,000 to 100,000 slaves in Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri, and Maryland remained enslaved until the 13th Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865, nearly six months later.
Schiff argues that if the nation wants to honor the end of slavery with a federal holiday, December 6 (ratification of the 13th Amendment) or April 9 (end of the Civil War) would be historically accurate choices. He also questions the financial cost of adding an 11th paid federal holiday when government workers already receive 44 paid days off annually, criticizes the speed with which Congress rammed the legislation through without giving Americans advance notice — stranding travelers whose passport office appointments were canceled overnight — and warns that the political dynamics behind the unanimous Senate vote will embolden further demands.
Chapters:
00:00 Why This Episode Matters
00:25 How Juneteenth Became Federal
03:11 Virtue Signaling and Racism Litmus
07:23 What Juneteenth Actually Marks
09:44 Myth of the Last Slaves
11:16 Better Dates to Commemorate
15:07 Cost of Another Paid Holiday
17:39 Which Holiday Should Be Replaced
21:44 MLK Day and Holiday Politics
26:16 Washington Birthday vs Presidents Day
30:34 Rushed Rollout and Passport Chaos
37:05 Division and the Road Ahead