On Juneteenth

In Chapter 1, Gordon-Reed discusses how Texas is represented in the public imagination. Explain how this representation has come to be and discuss its implications for the inhabitants of Texas in the past and the present.

Discuss the centrality of slavery and the idea of white supremacy to the development of Texas.

Throughout On Juneteenth, Gordon-Reed emphasizes historical narratives, particularly their mythical and/or partially fictionalized components, are more about serving people in the present than they are about accurately portraying past events. Provide some examples of this historical construction and discuss the purposes and people they serve and why.