The Thirteenth Amendment is one of the most important changes ever made to the United States Constitution. It ended slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the country, except as punishment for a crime after conviction. Ratified in 1865, it marked a turning point after the Civil War and changed the legal meaning of freedom in the United States.
Its words helped transform a nation built partly on slavery into one legally committed to emancipation.
Key Facts
- The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865.
- Section 1 states: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist in the United States, except as punishment for a crime after conviction.
- Section 2 gives Congress the power to enforce the amendment through appropriate legislation.
- The amendment needed approval by two thirds of each house of Congress and three fourths of the states for ratification.
- The House of Representatives passed the amendment on January 31, 1865, by a vote of 119 to 56.
- The Thirteenth Amendment is the first of the three Reconstruction Amendments, followed by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.
Vocabulary
- Amendment
- A formal change or addition to the Constitution.
- Abolition
- The act of officially ending a system or practice, especially slavery.
- Involuntary servitude
- Forced labor performed against a person's will, even if it is not called slavery.
- Ratification
- The official approval process that makes a constitutional amendment legally valid.
- Enforcement clause
- A part of an amendment that gives Congress the authority to pass laws carrying out the amendment's goals.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Saying the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery everywhere is wrong because it applied mainly to areas in rebellion and did not permanently abolish slavery nationwide.
- Ignoring the exception clause is wrong because the amendment allows involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime after a lawful conviction.
- Thinking the Thirteenth Amendment only affected the South is wrong because constitutional amendments apply across the entire United States.
- Treating ratification as the same as congressional passage is wrong because an amendment must also be approved by the required number of states.
Practice Questions
- 1 The House vote for the Thirteenth Amendment was 119 in favor and 56 against. How many total representatives voted, and what percentage voted in favor? Round to the nearest tenth.
- 2 In 1865, 27 of the 36 states needed to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment. What fraction and percentage of the states was required for ratification?
- 3 Explain why Section 2 of the Thirteenth Amendment was important for turning the amendment from a statement of principle into a tool for federal action.