An Overview of the 13th Amendment

What is the 13th Amendment?

“Section 1. 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.

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

The 13th Amendment Defined

Date Proposed

The 13th Amendment was proposed on January 31st, 1865

Date Passed

The 13th Amendment was passed on December 6th, 1865

President of the United States

Andrew Johnson was the President of the United States at the time of the ratification of the 13th Amendment; he assumes Presidency subsequent to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Stipulations of the 13th Amendment

The 13th Amendment declares slavery as illegal; in addition, forced servitude is also deemed to be illegal – this Amendment is regarded as the finalization of the abolishment of slavery

The 13th Amendment illustrates the distinction(s) between servitude, slavery, and consensual labor; forced labor is any type of labor that takes place through the implementation of threat(s), physically restraint of an individual with regard to the proliferation of labor, exploitative or blackmail –based activity in order to continue labor, and the implementation of fear in order to solidify servitude

‘Debt-servitude’ – or servitude implemented in order to force the repayment of debt is considered unconstitutional within the stipulations set forth within the 13th Amendment

13th Amendment Facts

The previous 12 Amendments were passed within the adoption of the Constitution of the United States

2 legal statures presenting punitive recourse with regard to the passing of 13th Amendment were enacted; the “Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law” and “Conspiracy Against Rights”

The Emancipation Proclamation (1863) was issued by President Abraham Lincoln in the midst of the Civil War, which is considered to be the primary facilitator of the proposition – and subsequent ratification - of the 13th Amendment

States Ratifying the 13th Amendment

1. Alabama

2. Arkansas

3. California

4. Connecticut

5. Delaware

6. Florida

7. Georgia

8. Illinois

9. Indiana

10. Iowa

11. Kansas

12. Kentucky

13. Louisiana

14. Maine

15. Maryland

16. Massachusetts

17. Michigan

18. Minnesota

19. Mississippi

20. Missouri

21. Nevada

22. New Hampshire

23. New Jersey

24. New York

25. North Carolina

26. Ohio

27. Oregon

28. Pennsylvania

29. Rhode Island

30. South Carolina

31. South Dakota

32. Tennessee

33. Texas

34. Vermont

35. Virginia

36. Washington

37. West Virginia

38. Wisconsin

States Not Participatory in the Ratification of the 13th Amendment

Although failing to receive unanimous ratification, the 15th Amendment has since received subsequent – and collective – ratification from all applicable states

Statutes Associated with the 13th Amendment

The 13th Amendment – in addition to the 14th and 15th Amendments – is categorized as one of the 3 Constitutional Amendments regarded as ‘Reconstruction Amendments’; these Amendments took place within 5 years following the Civil War – they may also be referred to as ‘Civil War Amendments’

The 19th Amendment overturned preexisting stipulations that deny citizens of the United States the right to vote on the basis of gender; this amendment granted female citizens of the United States the right to vote.

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