Juneteenth, thanks to Republicans

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I celebrate Juneteenth. This holiday marks the end of slavery in the United States.

Though the Civil War was over, Democrats in control of Texas neglected to inform their slaves that they had been declared free two years earlier by President Abraham Lincoln. June 19th 1865, General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston and proclaimed an end to slavery in the Lone Star State:

"The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor."

African-Americans rejoiced, while Democrats raged.

General Granger then traveled around Texas to inform African-Americans, still being held in bondage by their Democrat masters, that they were in fact free. He zealously advocated civil rights for the former slaves. Too zealously, it turned out, for Lincoln's Democrat successor, Andrew Johnson. Seven weeks after his arrival, Granger was relieved of command by President Johnson.

Back to Basics for the Republican Party explains that any officer who exerted himself in defense of African-Americans was out of a job. For this reason, Johnson dismissed the conscientious Phil Sheridan, who had sent General Granger to Galveston, from command in Texas and Louisiana. Sheridan’s replacement was General Winfield Hancock, who then allowed white supremacist thugs a free hand. Democrats nominated Hancock for president in 1880.

Even after Juneteenth, slavery remained in Kentucky and Delaware until ratification of the GOP's 15th Amendment six months later.

Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our party, the more Democrats will worry about the future of theirs. For more information, see www.grandoldpartisan.com

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Here is my Substack about this article.

Michael Zak is author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, a history of GOP civil rights achievement.


Each day, his YouTube videos and TikTok videos and Rumble videos and Grand Old Partisan blog celebrate more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. And, see Speech Raves for audience feedback from his presentations in thirty-one states.

Clarence Thomas cited Back to Basics for the Republican Party in a Supreme Court decision.

"This is the most amazing book about politics that I have ever read. The Overview should be required reading for anyone with even a minor interest in government. The remainder is an enthralling history lesson that I will never forget. For years, we have all been misled about the true nature of the GOP. This is the real deal! Read it and be proud!"

"Your book is a national treasure. I'm always recommending it."

"Michael Zak wrote the definitive history of the GOP."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is the most significant contribution to the Republican Party in the last twenty years apart from Ronald Reagan."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is more important to our party now than ever before."

and

"one of the best books I ever read"


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