Section 2. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. This guide provides access to digital collections at the Library of Congress, external websites, and print materials related to the amendment. Use our online form to ask a librarian for help. Ratified in 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. The amendment was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, but did not pass in the House until January 31, 1865. Assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, he died on April 15, 1865, and the amendment was not ratified by the required number of states until December 6, 1865. The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution declared that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." The Emancipation Proclamation, declared and promulgated by Pres. Chat with a librarian, Monday through Friday, 12-4pm Eastern Time (except Federal Holidays).
Thirteenth Amendment, amendment (1865) to the Constitution of the United States that formally abolished slavery. The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution declared that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Abraham Lincoln in 1863 during the American Civil War, freed only those slaves held in the Confederate States of America. A lively and informative new podcast for kids that the whole family will enjoy! However, he did not live to see its ratification. Thirteenth Amendment, amendment (1865) to the Constitution of the United States that formally abolished slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Although the words slavery and slave are never mentioned in the Constitution, the Thirteenth Amendment abrogated those sections of the Constitution which had tacitly codified the “peculiar institution”: Article I, Section 2, regarding apportionment of representation in the House of Representatives, which had been “determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons provided for the appointment,” with “all other persons” meaning slaves; Article I, Section 9, which had established 1807 as the end date for the importation of slaves, referred to in this case as “such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit”; and Article IV, Section 2, which mandated the return to their owners of fugitive slaves, here defined as persons “held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another.”. The Thirteenth Amendment was an amendment to the United States Constitution, meaning that it was a change to the basic and most important laws that govern the United States…

Have a question? Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Formally abolishing slavery in the United States, the 13th Amendment was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified by the states on December 6, 1865. The joint resolution of both bodies that submitted the amendment to the states for approval was signed by Lincoln on February 1, 1865. This article was most recently revised and updated by, Cornell University Law School - Legal Information Institute - Thirteenth Amendment, Our Documents - 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery. 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Primary Documents in American History, 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Here is the text of the Thirteenth Amendment from the Constitution: Section 1. The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1865 in the aftermath of the Civil War, abolished slavery in the United States. Need assistance? In depriving the South of its greatest economic resource—abundant free human labour—Lincoln’s proclamation was intended primarily as an instrument of military strategy. Ken Drexler, Reference Specialist, Researcher and Reference Services Division. Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States and provides that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Only when emancipation was universally proposed through the Thirteenth Amendment did it become national policy. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Author: ". Moreover, the legality of abolition by presidential edict was questionable.