Juneteenth

Today is Juneteenth, a celebration of the revelation to the enslaved residents of Galveston that slavery had been abolished. Juneteenth celebrations are becoming more common throughout the States, but the holiday has been a big deal among Texans of African descent for a long time.

Of course, slavery was not limited to the South- slavery was introduced to the New Netherlands colony by the Dutch and slavery was not completely abolished in New York until 1841. The economics of Northern slavery were different from those of Southern slavery- most slaveholders owned only one or two slaves, who were often skilled laborers. Two remarkable enslaved individuals were Caesar, the master miller, and Diamond, the boatman, of the Philipsburg Manor Upper Mills complex- these men were brilliant, they just weren't free.