What is Juneteenth?

What is Juneteenth?

Author: History Hit June 19, 2025 Duration: 32:33

June 19, 1865 - Galveston, Texas, a general in the Union army announced to the people of Texas that all enslaved African Americans were free. Over time the date has grown from a local to a national holiday, a marker of freedom, of family, and of joy and continued struggle that emerged from this cauldron of the war.


Don's guest today is Mark Anthony Neal, Professor of African & African American Studies at Duke University and host of Left of Black.


Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.


Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  


You can take part in our listener survey here.


All music from Epidemic Sounds.


American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Tune in twice a week as host Don Wildman digs into the stories that shaped a nation. American History Hit moves beyond textbook dates to explore the people, conflicts, and surprising events that define the American experience. Each episode is a deep dive into a different moment, whether it's the tense war preparations of Chief Powhatan, the clandestine work of codebreakers at Midway, or even the unexpected political accusations hurled by Walt Disney. You'll find that the past is never truly buried, as the series also uncovers the hidden layers beneath landmarks like New York's Central Park. This isn't just a chronicle of what happened; it's an investigation into how these echoes from pre-colonial times onward continue to resonate today. For anyone curious about the complex tapestry of the United States, this podcast from History Hit serves as an engaging and thoughtful guide, turning historical inquiry into a compelling narrative journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

American History Hit
Podcast Episodes
Darkest Hours: Brother Against Brother [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:05
There is no question that the Civil War is one of the darkest chapters in American history. With roughly 2.5 percent of the population lost, a higher number of Americans than in both World Wars combined.In portraying the…
The Annexation of Hawaiʻi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:59
How did Hawaiʻi - once an independent, internationally recognised kingdom - become America's 50th state? It's a tale of economic pressure, political manoeuvring, and ruthless military might. We’ll explore how a sovereign…
America's Worst General [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:14
Who was the worst American army general of all time? We round off our month of military history by looking at the leaders who standout for all the wrong reasons. Don's guest is the wonderful Cecily Zander author of the u…
Origins of the First Amendment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:43
The First Amendment of the US Constitution is just forty-five words long, but its impact has drastically shaped American life. For much of American history, the First Amendment was narrow, unevenly applied and frequently…
America's Greatest General [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:59
Eisenhower, Washington, Greene, Grant. There have been thousands of Generals in the United States' Armed Forces. Picking out the best of the crop would be impossible, right?In this episode, Don is joined once again by Ma…
The Truth about the Two-Term Limit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:23
The two-term limit, the idea that the President of the United States may not seek a third term, has a long history. Originating from a decision made by George Washington, it quickly became an established political norm i…
America's Most Innovative General [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:43
New weapons, new opponents, new technology - as warfare evolves, armies need generals able to evolve with it. In this episode, Don is joined by Cecily Zander to discuss the most innovative generals in American History. W…
How Revolutionary was the Declaration of Independence? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:41
In July 1776, a group of men in Philadelphia committed an unthinkable act: they challenged one of the most powerful empires in the world by signing what became known as the American Declaration of Independence.What had h…
America's Bloodiest General [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:00
Ruthless tactics. Extreme violence. The loss of huge numbers of their own troops. The deaths of the most opposing troops. What makes a general 'bloody'? And who fits that description best?In this first of four episodes o…
How Dangerous Was The Oregon Trail? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:53
From the 1830s until the arrival of the transcontinental railroad, hundreds of thousands of people packed their possessions into wagons and headed west, seeking land and opportunity. Following in the footsteps of Native…