Joshua traveled with Sam Houston and worked on the construction of Raven Hill in Huntsville, Texas.
[3] The story of Sam Houston freeing his slaves before his 1863 death, in particular Joshua, has been passed down through history, and is recounted in various books.
[4] The Emancipation Proclamation was not announced in Texas until June 1865, Juneteenth,[5] two months after Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox.
In 1861, the Texas legislature amended its Constitution of 1845, making it illegal to free slaves in the state.
Additionally, Section I removed any possibility of reverting that, "The Legislature shall have no power to pass laws for the emancipation of slaves".