Rick Green [00:00:07] Welcome to The Wall Builders Show. This is the intersection of faith and culture and the place where we take on the hot topics of the day from a biblical, historical, and constitutional perspective. Thanks for joining us. Be sure to visit the websites, wallbuilders.com and wallbuilders.show. One's the radio program and one is our main website, the .show for the radio program and then our main web site at wallbuilds.com. Juneteenth is, let's see, I guess it will be tomorrow, right guys? Is it June 19th that is technically Juneteeth? And, of course, I... I'm so confused! Am I supposed to celebrate this? Am I not supposed to celebrate this is this good is this bad is it oh there's so much controversy about it 

Tim Barton [00:00:44] It is June 19th, and specifically it's recognizing when Gordon Granger, union officer, he shows up to Galveston, Texas, alerts the, the slaves that have still been held in Texas, cause this was one of the last strongholds of the Confederacy that Lincoln, he's like, Hey, like nearly two years ago, right? Lincoln did this thing, you're all free. Actually it was like two and a half years ago. I guess at that point told him you're free. BUT Part of the reason that this doesn't matter, Rick, maybe to your question, should we celebrate or not celebrate it? This was a Texas holiday for a long time, celebrating the end of a Democrat policy position, slavery, when it was overthrown by a Republican policy position and a Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, and it was a Texas holiday, for a hundred whatever years before finally the federal government said, you know what, we're going to make this, what's it? Guys, was it Joe Biden that did the, I feel like it was Joe Biden that said Juneteenth is now a federal holiday, because I think we talked about that. It's been a couple of years, but. 

David Barton [00:01:50] And by the way, when Biden announced the holiday and what it was for, there was, it's probably not possible to have more historical revisionism in a declaration than what he had and that. So factually wrong, so historically wrong, but it was a new holiday to celebrate what they wanted it to be, not what it actually was. 

Tim Barton [00:02:10] Well, and certainly the tone was a very wrong direction, kind of highlighting things, leaving parts out, but it's keeping a narrative with some of the retelling, the rewriting of history. We can go back to the 1619 project we came out in 2019 that said all of America was birthed and built off slavery. It looked at Jamestown saying that when the first slave load of ships arrived in Jamestow in 1619, that's when America began. Of course, that's utterly ridiculous. The 250th anniversary that we're celebrating some this year, but specifically July 4th next year, is America being 250 years old, because that's when we separated from Great Britain, became our own nation. So America was not birthed from slavery, it was not born from Jamestown, but because that is the prevailing narrative, and by saying the previling narrative, specifically in academia, in education, this is what kids are being taught, actually in all 50 states. Even when you have states like Florida, like Texas, various states that have said, we will not allow DEI, we will allow critical race theory. What we know, and it has been very well exposed and documented is you have a lot of superintendents of education. You have a lot of principals who, some of their actual staff meetings, those, those calls, those Vimeo or video kind of things that the, I'm trying to think of what platform they were using. Now there was like a Skype, a Zoom, whatever it was. That video was released of superintendents saying, hey, the law says we can't teach DEI and critical race theory anymore. We can't that America was built on slavery, birthed by slavery, it's all about slavery, and that's why she's evil. But we're just gonna stop calling it DEI and critical-race theory. We're gonna call it something else. So keep teaching history the way you have been. And the reason that matters is because this is by and large what so much of the rising generation is having reinforced through academia, through their education, is how evil America is because of slavery. We've spent a lot of time over the years documenting going through how incorrect that narrative is in our book, The American Story, The Beginnings. We highlight and go through a lot of this and as we recognize part of the big challenge in helping Americans not be succumbed or overcome by some of the lies, not fall into the trap so often of the rewriting of history and saying, but this is the way it was. The way you overcome a lie is with the truth. And so we always say, look, let's go back and let's just look at the honest story, what happened and in every story. There's going to be good, bad, and ugly because every story is full of people and people are not perfect as the reason Jesus came, but the prevailing narrative does not tell the truth about the good, the bad, the ugly. The prevailing narrative largely removes the good. It, it emphasizes the bad and the ugly, but actually at times it over emphasizes the Bad and the Ugly as if America was the only nation that had slaves and were evil because of slavery. The reality is when the 13th amendment was done in 1865, America became the fourth major nation in the world to end slavery. England did in 1833 and then you have Denmark and France that do it and then 1865 America does and there's about 128 nations in the World at that time when America actually officially bans and ends slavery with the 13th amendment. So if you had a race of 128 people and you came in fourth on the race and you didn't make the podium but it's still a really big deal. You are ahead of 120 whatever nations that are trailing you in this. And instead of celebrating that America was a leader in this, or by the way, instead of acknowledging. That slavery was only ended after there was a war where white people fought white people, where the number one issue was the issue of slavery, and at the end of that war, they actually freed all of the black people. America paid a higher price in ending slavery, and we could even go back to the New England colonies of North America and highlight the fact that they started the anti-slavery, the abolition movement. Those political leaders started that movement before any political leaders anywhere else in the world. And they're the ones that laid the foundation. It was the founding fathers that came up with the idea that all men are created equal, which was one of the leading cries of the abolitionists. Again, we can go on and on and about this. But the reason all this matters is a prevailing narrative that students are learning is how bad and evil America is. And unfortunately, on Juneteenth, this is where some of that bad information resurfaces. And so we said, all right, if, if we're going to go back and cover this, certainly we can tell the story and we can highlight it, but we have some really good friends who also live in this industry in this world of American history and storytelling. And one of our favorite friends and storytellers of American history is Bill Federer, and we thought if anybody can lay this out for us in a good way, Bill Fedorer is probably the guy to do that. 

Rick Green [00:06:53] Yeah, somebody's gotta make sense of all this. All right, quick break. We'll be right back. Bill Federer, our guest here on The WallBuilder Show. 

Rick Green [00:08:06] Welcome back to the WallBuilders Show Thanks for staying with us. So good to have Bill Federer back with us, love you brother. Appreciate you coming back on, man. 

Bill Federer [00:08:12] Hey Rick, great to be with you. 

Rick Green [00:08:13] Well, I love what you do and, and, thanks for always being available to us. We always have these dates or things that come up. I'm like, who could we get on to talk about this? It's like nine out of 10 times. Bill Federer, that's who we need to get on. So anyway, Juneteenth is this week and, and I get these weird like conservative, you know, haters on Juneteeth and I'm, I'm like, wait, why, why do you not like Juneteen? This is something we could talk about and, and have an, I don't,it. But anyway, so we thought we needed to really get down to the history of what June 19th is all about. And, we said, I think it was Tim Barton said the other day when we were talking about it. It was like, you gotta get Bill, man. Bill's going to have something good on it. So anyway, thanks for coming on. Let's talk about it, what do you, what do you got on Juneteenth for us? 

Bill Federer [00:08:54] Yeah, well, the Democrat Party was pro-slavery. It was founded by Andrew Jackson. There were some good things. Florida being part of America is because of Andrew Jackson, but the bad thing was that he owned slaves, and the Democrat party was pro slavery. They actually made laws in Democrat states that it was a crime to teach slaves to read. Well, Lincoln was the first Republican president. And a little background, 1854. A slave named Joshua Glover escaped from his master in St. Louis, Missouri, and went to Racine, Wisconsin. And he's living okay until the Democrats pass the Fugitive Slave Law to help recapture runaway slaves. And so the Sheriff of St. Lewis goes to Racine bribed somebody to show him where he lives and the door and butts him in the head with with his rifle and puts him on a cart, drags him to the Milwaukee jail. While 5,000 white Wisconsin's storm the Milwaukee jail and free the black man, Joshua Glover, help him escape to Canada. A week later, those same white Wisconsin go to Racine, Wisconsin and form a political party to get rid of slavery. It was called the Republican Party. And the founding plank of the original platform was to eliminate the twin relics of barbarism, slavery and polygamy. That's right, Utah, polygamy, and so forth, but slavery. So the Republican Party was dedicated. John Fremont was their first candidate. He didn't win, but Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican to become president. 

Rick Green [00:10:33] Wait, wait, wait. Wait, wait, wait back up, Bill. I was something I never heard before. So the, the origins were also to get rid of polygamy. I didn't even realize that was part of it. 

Bill Federer [00:10:42] Yeah, and so from that point on, the Republican Party has been for marriage being a man and a woman. 

Rick Green [00:10:46] That's what I was thinking as soon as you said that. I was like, this is so cool. Okay, I'm sorry. Go ahead, man. Very good. 

Bill Federer [00:10:52] Yeah, and so the first Republican convention in Virginia was in a black church. So the Republican Party was the slavery. Frederick Douglass was a Republican. He was an advisor to Lincoln. He raised the 54th Massachusetts, which were black soldiers to fight the Confederate South, which was Democrat. When the Democrats split and formed the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis. Made speeches saying, slavery is good, we want to keep it. So Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation on March 30th, 1863. That's the date that it was to be observed. And you read, well, excuse me, he first issues a day of fasting and prayer, March 30, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued January 1st of 1863, but March 30. Why do I bring this up? Two days after Lincoln's proclamation of fasting and prayer. The South shoots its own best general. Arguably, it's best, it got Robert E. Lee, but it's Stonewall Jackson. It's the Battle of Chancellorsville. The South is outnumbered two to one, and they're winning. Stonewall, Jackson was such a great general. But he's coming back at twilight, and his own men say, stop, who goes there? And before he can answer, they let off a volley of shots. They shoot him twice in the arm. One's in the hand, kill his horse, kill about 15 men around him, and then he dies a couple weeks later. And just about every Civil War historian. 

Rick Green [00:12:32] Would you hate to be those guys? 

Bill Federer [00:12:35] Just about every Civil War historian will suspect that if Stonewall Jackson had been at Gettysburg two months later, the South may very well have won the war. He was such a great general, and he himself was a godly man. He broke Virginia law because he supported a Sunday school class to teach slaves to See you next time. When the law in Virginia was that was a crime. But nevertheless, we can't discount the fact that it's two days after Lincoln's day of fasting and prayer that this freak accident happens where the South shoots one of their own best generals. And so it turns the course of the war. And then I love the different quotes from Lincoln where he talks about whenever he sees somebody arguing for slavery, I have this strong desire to see it tried on them first. You had the Dred Scott decision where, uh, you know, Dred, uh Roger Taney is the Democrat, uh Supreme court justice appointed by Andrew Jackson and Taney said that slaves are property and Lincoln's, uh addresses, he says, I know the decision that some think that the Supreme court is the final say, but if we let that happen, the people will no longer be their own Lincoln, Gettysburg Address, November 19th, 1863, four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. When Ulysses S. Grant heard that the war was started, he said, as soon as slavery fired upon the flag, it was felt, we all felt that slavery must be destroyed. We felt that it was a stain to the union that men should be bought and sold like cattle. And I love Booker T. Washington. I put together a whole book on him just because he's such a fascinating person. And he talks about when the Emancipation Proclamation was read for the first time on his plantation. And he said, there was more singing in the slave quarters than usual. Most of the verses on the plantation songs had some reference to freedom. Some man who seemed to be a stranger, a United States officer, I presume, made a little speech, then read a rather long paper. After reading, we were all told that we were all free and could go when and where we pleased. My mother, who had been standing by my side, leaned over and kissed her children while tears of joy ran down her cheeks. She explained to us what it all meant, that this was the day for which she had been so long praying, but fearing that she would never live to see. James Garfield was the 20th president, and in his inaugural address in 1881, he said, our children will surely bless their fathers and their father's God that the union was preserved, that slavery was overthrown. And that both races were made equal before the law. And Garfield was a Republican. And a preacher. And then we have Calvin Coolidge. He said, it was Lincoln who pointed out that both sides prayed of the same God. When that is the case, it is only a matter of time when each will seek a common end. We can now see clearly what that end is. It is the maintenance of our American ideals beneath the common flag and the blessings of Almighty God. And As far as the Juneteenth word comes from, there was the Union General, Gordon Granger, and he issued General Order No. 3 from Galveston, Texas on June 19th of 1865, and he told his soldiers to go on to all the different plantations and read this. Says the people of Texas are informed that in accordance with the proclamation from the executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves. So again, Juneteenth is celebrating the Republicans ending slavery, Lincoln Republican Emancipation Proclamation, the Union- 

Rick Green [00:17:20] And the announcement of it, right? The, being able to discover it for the, for the slaves in Texas, that they, this was the big announcement for them. That's why that particular date is celebrated. 

Bill Federer [00:17:32] Yeah, well, the mayor of Lake Wales, Florida, happens to be a pastor, and he decided to declare June, Juneteenth month, and he invited all the black pastors to come and celebrate the freeing of the slaves, and the LGBTQ activists were all ready to slam him as this intolerant person, but they admitted that they couldn't call him an intolerant because here he is recognizing the ending of slavery. And so I think there should be a movement to declare June, Juneteenth month. That's great. To celebrate the Republican party, Republican President Abraham Lincoln and this ending of this horrible crime of slavery and declaring that all races are equal.Before God and before the law. 

Rick Green [00:18:21] Amen. Amen. Such good history. And there's so much there that is the opposite gets taught, right? And so then we, we, people act differently based on what they've been taught, what their education is. So this is a, this is huge one. Bill, God bless you, man. Thanks for coming on again. Thanks for sharing Juneteenth with us. And, we're going to shout it from the mountain tops this week. 

Bill Federer [00:18:41] Blessings to you 

Rick Green [00:18:42] and to all the viewers. Stay with us, folks. We'll be right back with David and Tim Barnes. 

Rick Green [00:19:54] Welcome back to the WallBuilders Show. Thanks for staying with us. Always thankful for Bill Federer joining us back with David and Tim Barton now. And, and guys, of course, you know, the use of a date and the use of, something that's an anniversary for propaganda is nothing new and, and sides always try to, try to twist it. And that's one reason here at WallBuilders, we always say, you know, the good, the bad, the ugly. And we're, we're going to get down to accurate history. So I'm glad we're covering this topic today. 

David Barton [00:20:19] Yeah, and just to be real clear and make sure everybody understands, Juneteenth did not end slavery, not at all, period. What ended slavery in America was the 13th amendment. That was a constitutional amendment. The constitution did not allow the federal government to end slavery. But what it did, and this is what Lincoln took advantage of, it did allow the Federal government to make policy for states that were in rebellion. And so all those states that we're under Southern control in the South, You could issue a notification from the president said slavery is abolished in all these states. And so Georgia and South Carolina, et cetera. Now it is significant at the time he issued that proclamation, January the 1st of 1863, a lot of the South was not in Confederate control. It was in, it was in union control like Louisiana. So the emancipation proclamation did not free the slaves that were in Louisiana only in those places that were under Democrat Confederate control What ended slavery in America is not Juneteenth, what ended slavery was the 13th Amendment. 

Tim Barton [00:21:23] And specifically along those lines, if, if you look at the constitution, there are actually wartime powers granted to the president, and so during wartime powers, the president is able to take some executive actions and steps specifically against those states in a rebellion, which is why he could do the Emancipation Proclamation and it applied to those states who were actively in rebellion, but For example, there was slavery in Delaware and the Emancipation Proclamation didn't apply to them. It didn't imply to Kentucky, it didn't implied to Maryland, it didn't applied to Missouri, it did apply to West Virginia, as you mentioned. Even some of the Confederate leaning states, because of this point, they're already back in union control to some extent, whether it be Tennessee or Louisiana or sections of Virginia, there are areas where the EMANCIPATION Proclamation doesn't apply. So the EMancipation proclamation did end slavery in very specific places. When those states were actually in rebellion against the union, because the president had the authority to do that. But the reason you have to have the 13th amendment and also be clear, you know, I mean, Bill Federer, he absolutely knows all of this. When we have longer conversations and, you know, we can get into the nuance and details. And so when, when Bill says, look, that, you know, this is celebrating the end of slavery, it was celebrating the end slavery in Texas. That's what Juneteenth was. It became a national holiday, but it's because that Texas was still in rebellion and the Emancipation and Proclamation applied to Texas when it was issued and authorized and the slaves in the South had learned about it. So even though the Civil War is already over at this point, they didn't know they were free, which is why Gordon Granger gets there and explains that you guys are free. That's why they have this big celebration, Juneteenth, what's going on. But again, back to the point that this is where so much of the modern storytelling disregards the reality that there was a 13th Amendment. And the reason you had to have a 13th amendment is because the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery all over the nation. And it was only those states down in Texas, specifically the Galveston area where Gordon Granger lands and they send out the announcement of those slaves in that area. They just hadn't heard of the Emancipation Proclamations. So many slaves in these other states have already been freed at that point. It's just that some of the slaves in Texas had not heard that. And of course, without the Union troops there, there wasn't an enforcement mechanism to make sure that those slaves were in fact freed, so then it did make a difference, whenever Union got, the Union soldiers got control of areas, they could enforce that emancipation proclamation to make sure that slaves were freed. So there's certainly is a process. But again, that's your point. There's a reason we had the 13th amendment because the emancipate and proclamation did not blanket apply to the entire nation, only to the states that were actively in rebellion during the time of the war. 

David Barton [00:24:08] And to add even a little more nuance to that, it's back in April when the Civil War ends. Now Juneteenth, we're talking, that's several months after April, but Lincoln's assassinated, but the Civil war ends, Lincoln's assasinated, that all in April, Texas was the final state to surrender. And so that's why it's the last one where you have Confederate troops, Gordon Granger coming in and setting up things because this is the last state to say, okay, alright, You guys win we're out and why would you think that any slaveholder in the south would be happy to declare what Abraham Lincoln did the Emancipation Proclamation said you know I'm a slaveholder but Lincoln said you're all free so you can all go now there's not a other slave owner we're going to do that by large and they certainly didn't do in Texas which is why Texas had to be told about at last they were the last ones to go under so Juneteenth is just because Texas was last getting on board.

Tim Barton [00:25:04] And as we mentioned, Juneteenth is actually tomorrow, June 19th. And I would encourage everybody, we're giving you a little bit of the breakdown ahead of time because tomorrow is foundation of freedom Thursday. So we wanted to cover this now. So we can get into a bunch of questions tomorrow, but as Bill pointed out, if you go back and read the original platform from the Republican party, it's very clear the vast majority of the planks in the Republican platform are against slavery, but if you pay attention tomorrow to the Juneteen talk and conversation now, depending on who you listen to, if you're watching some. Conservative outlets, they might do a better job, but I would just say, just just look, see how many of these outlets talk about Juneteenth is when Republicans were able to enforce the anti-slavery provisions that Republicans had run on done by Republican president Abraham Lincoln, I just am going to suspect. That probably you're not going to hear a whole bunch of Republican platform or Republican idea talk, even Abraham Lincoln being a Republican tomorrow. And that's part of the reality of people not telling the whole story or the truthful and honest story, which is why we wanted you to know a little bit more of the history of Juneteenth. 

Rick Green [00:26:12] Good stuff guys, so much great history to learn. And once again, we're gonna be doing a lot of this over the next year with the 250th, but certainly good to have Bill Federer with us today. Be sure to visit wallbuilders.com. And if you're not on the email list, make sure you get on the email list at wallbuilder.com today. I was just noticing one of the emails I got today that was yesterday about Bucker Hill. And there's so many good things coming out of the wall builder shop. Lots of great research there and lots of stuff you can share with your friends and family as well. So wallbuilds.com, today, get on the email lists and help us and rebuild Liberty over the next year. You've been listening to The Wall Builder Show.