With over 200,000 years of human history on Earth, there’s bound to be some strange occurrences hiding between the cracks of our commonly told historical narrative. When you think about U.S. history you probably think about the Declaration of Independence, or the Pilgrims, or the list of presidents your fifth grade teacher made you memorize. You probably don’t think about which president went skinny dipping every morning or which towns have elected animals as their mayors!
There are a lot of wild things that have happened over the years and we can assure you, nobody ever taught them to you in the classroom. The following list of shocking American historical facts are just that—shocking. Ranging from funny to just plain creepy, you won’t easily forget these whacky historical tidbits. And who knows? They might even come in handy next time you and your friends attend a trivia night!
The Emancipation Proclamation Happened Two Years Late In This Southern Town
Back in 1863, news travelled slowly. And we mean really slowly. It’s hard for us to imagine in the technology age, but it took so long for news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach slaves in Galveston, Texas that they didn’t receive word of the monumental proclamation until June of 1865—two months after Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth!
June 19th, the day the news reached slaves in Galveston, is now celebrated as “Juneteenth” and marks a major moment in African American History. Thank goodness news travels a bit faster these days!
