The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on December 6, 1865. It abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States, except as punishment for a crime. The amendment was a significant outcome of the Civil War and reflected the growing movement against slavery and the fight for civil rights.
The passage of the 13th Amendment followed the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, which declared the freedom of all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory. However, it was the 13th Amendment that legally solidified the end of slavery throughout the entire nation.
The amendment was proposed by Congress in early 1865 and was passed by the House of Representatives after a significant political struggle, influenced by the end of the Civil War and changing public sentiment. Its ratification marked a pivotal moment in American history, paving the way for subsequent civil rights advancements and profoundly altering the social and economic landscape of the country.
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