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'''Thirteenth Amendment''' to the [[U.S. Constitution]], which formally abolished slavery in the [[United States]], passed the Senate on April 8, 1864, and the House on January 31, 1865. On February 1, 1865, President [[Abraham Lincoln]] approved the Joint Resolution of Congress submitting the proposed amendment to the state legislatures. The necessary number of states ratified it by December 6, 1865.

'''Thirteenth Amendment''' to the [[U.S. Constitution]], which formally abolished slavery in the [[United States]], passed the [[Senate]] on April 8, 1864, and the [[House of Representatives|House]] on January 31, 1865. On February 1, 1865, President [[Abraham Lincoln]] approved the Joint Resolution of Congress submitting the proposed amendment to the state legislatures. The necessary number of states ratified it by December 6, 1865.

==Text==

==Text==

==Ratification==

==Ratification==

The Thirteenth Amendment was officially ratified on December 6, 1865, 309 days after Congress had proposed it [http://www.usconstitution.net/constamrat.html#Am13].  Many Southern states ratified it only because Congress had made ratification an official condition of their [[Reconstruction|readmission to the Union]] after the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].

The Thirteenth Amendment was officially ratified on December 6, 1865, 309 days after Congress had proposed it.<ref>http://www.usconstitution.net/constamrat.html#Am13</ref> Many Southern states ratified it only because Congress had made ratification an official condition of their [[Reconstruction|readmission to the Union]] after the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].

   

   

New Jersey, Delaware and Kentucky ratified this amendment after initially rejecting it.  Kentucky did not ratify this amendment until 1976, in a symbolic gesture.

New Jersey, Delaware and Kentucky ratified this amendment after initially rejecting it.  Kentucky did not ratify this amendment until 1976, in a symbolic gesture.

{{US amendments}}

{{US amendments}}

{{License|license = This work is in the [[public domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.| source = [http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=40#]}}

{{License|license = This work is in the [[public domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.| source = [http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=40#]}}

 

[[Category:United States Constitution]][[Category:American Civil War]]

[[Category:United States Constitution]][[Category:American Civil War]]