AAHGS (Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society)

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Happy Juneteenth!!!!

On June 19, 1865 Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. But the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance. In 1980 Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas through the efforts of Al Edwards, an African American state legislator. The successful passage of this bill marked Juneteenth as the first emancipation celebration granted official state recognition. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.

Over the years Juneteenth has been celebrated with a wide range of activities such as rodeos, fishing, barbecuing, family reunions, special church services, and baseball games just to name a few. Juneteenth also focuses on education and self-improvement. Guest speakers are brought to celebrations and the elders are called upon to recount the events of the past. Prayer services were also a major part of these celebrations. Juneteenth today, celebrates African American freedom and achievement, while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures.

When I think of Juneteenth, I always wonder where were my ancestors when they heard the news? How did they hear the news? Were they overjoyed or confused? Did they plan on staying where they were or did they plan on leaving to find family lost during slavery or make a new life for themselves? Juneteenth is celebrated all over the country throughout the month of June. I usually spend June 19 researching my family history and reflecting on my ancestor's stories. My community has a Juneteenth celebration on the fourth Saturday of every June that I attend.

How do you celebrate Juneteenth? Let us know about your community Juneteenth celebrations. We would love for you to share your Juneteenth pictures and stories with us.

Written by

AAHGS Member and Blogger

Trisha Mays-Cummings

http://journeythroughthegenerations.com

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Did Grandpa Work for the Railroad?

In honor of Father's Day, I wanted to dedicate this blog to all the African American men that worked for the railroad system. The U.S. railroad system is second only to the United States government in the employment of African American men. America’s first steam locomotive made its debut in 1830, and over the next two decades railroad tracks linked many cities on the East Coast. By 1850, some 9,000 miles of track had been laid east of the Missouri River. Hundreds of thousands of enslaved men were used for the labor of these railroad tracks. The Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 chartered the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific Railroad Companies. Following the end of the Civil War many African American men continued to work on this project connecting the east and west.

In the early 20th century there were many railroad companies such as Northern Pacific Railway Company, Kansas City Southern Railroad Company, Missouri Union Pacific Railroad Company, Norfolk Southern, and the Pullman Car Company. All of these companies continued to employee African American men for various jobs including carpenter, painter, car oiler, baggage handler, porter, and blacksmith. Because of these small and larger railroads across the U.S. there are some very valuable employee records that can assist with genealogy and family history research. While some records may have been lost or destroyed, many records were archived and are available to the public.

Employee records can provide the employees' full name, birth date, address, name of a close relative (for emergencies), tenure of employment, and job title. Also included would be pension applications, pension appeals, and accident or incident reports.

Do you have a relative that worked for the railroad? Have you been able to find some interesting documents about the railroad in your research? Please let us know how you found your information. We would love to hear about who worked for the railroad in your family!