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Hello, and welcome to Ben Franklin's World Revisited,

a series of classic episodes that bring fresh perspective to our latest episodes

and add deeper connections to our understanding

of early American history. And I'm your host, Liz Covart. Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates

the end of slavery in the United States is nearly upon us. And it offers us the perfect moment for

reflection. What do we know about Juneteenth? Where did this holiday begin? And how has it

grown from a regional commemoration into a national conversation about freedom, equality, and memory?

In this episode, we returned to our conversation with Annette Gordon-Reed in episode 304,

a native Texan and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian,

Annette brings both personal insight and deep historical knowledge to her book on Juneteenth,

which is a rich meditation on Texas history, African-American identity, and the long arc of

emancipation. Now, during our conversation, Annette reveals the colonial and early national

histories of Texas that made slavery integral to the state's identity. How Juneteenth came to commemorate

the end of slavery on June 19, 1865, and why the story of Juneteenth holds meaning for all Americans

today, not just Texans. So as we approach Juneteenth holds meaning for all Americans today, not just Texans.

So as we approach Juneteenth, I invite you to revisit this episode not just as a history lesson,

but also as an opportunity to reflect on how far we've come and how far we still have to go

in pursuing the revolutionary ideal that all men are created equal.

Music and pursuing the revolutionary ideal that all men are created equal. Our guest is a Carl M. Loeb University professor

and a professor of history at Harvard University and Harvard Law School.

Her books have won 16 major awards, including the Pulitzer Prize in History and the National Book Award.

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