Amendment 13
The End to Slavery
The Thirteenth Amendment states:
"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."
About the Thirteenth Amendment
This amendment, ratified on December 6, 1885, abolished slavery once and for all. It gave African Americans freedom from their masters and relief from the horrible workload they were forced to accomplish at no pay at all. This amendment also gave Congress the right to enforce this law in order to ensure that things would stay the same for as long as the Constitution lived! However, this was not accomplished without a price.
The Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation
The American Civil War was between the Confederation (southern states) and the Union (northern states). In fact, this whole war was circled upon slavery. The southern states believed in slavery since it was the main driving factor of their economy. The northern states were not as dependent on slaves and didn't mind losing some free labor. The Civil War was brutal and many Americans were killed. On September 22, after the Union victory at the Battle of Antietam, President Abraham Lincoln delivered and issued his temporary Emancipation Proclamation. This issued that slaves were in rebellion against the United States and, therefore, set free. Although, Lincoln had no legal power to abolish slavery all on his own and his speech really did not set any slaves free, it was a revolutionary and daring step towards freeing the slaves once and for all. In fact, the Emancipation Proclamation helped to drive the effort for a slave-freeing amendment. In addition, as the Union was pushing southwards it would free many slaves who would then in turn help in the fight against the Confederation. The Emancipation Proclamation wasn't just symbolic; it was also very helpful.
History Brief: The Impact of the 13th Amendment
Bibliography
"The Thirteenth Amendment." Great American History Thirteenth Amendment-. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2016.
"Thirteenth Amendment." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2016.