Story

The Freedom Tree in Missouri City, Texas. It was under this live oak tree that General Gordon Granger’s troops (most of whom were mounted Black Union soldiers) rode into Galveston to announce and enforce General Order #3. This order was issued by Union General Gordon Granger, on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, TX. The order stated that all that were enslaved are now free. This involved an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former enslavers and those they enslaved.

To enforce this order, Granger and his troops had to go door to door, plantation to plantation to spread the news, and force enslavers to free their human chattel. When the troops reached the Palmer plantation in Missouri City, they met underneath the Freedom Tree and read the order for the first time. This live oak tree is not only still standing but serves as a gathering place for descendants whose ancestors were enslaved at the Palmer plantation.

Every year families gather under the Freedom Tree to celebrate the day their ancestors finally heard they were free. A day that will never be forgotten, especially when there are Black Heritage Trees standing as silent witnesses to this historic moment.

So when you celebrate Juneteenth this year remember to look up. You never know how many stories an old oak tree might hold.

We are proud to add this tree to our Global Black Heritage Tree Map—connecting Black communities across the Diaspora through the trees that remain anchored to our historic landscapes.