The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States and its territories, except as a punishment for a crime where the person has been duly convicted. It permanently ended the institution of slavery and outlawed practices such as peonage, where people were coerced to work to pay off debts
. The amendment was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, ratified by the states on December 6, 1865, and officially proclaimed later that month. It was the first of the three Reconstruction Amendments following the Civil War and provided a constitutional guarantee that slavery would no longer exist in the country
. Its key provisions include:
- 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 has the power to enforce this amendment through appropriate legislation
The amendment not only abolished chattel slavery but also broader forms of forced labor, ensuring labor freedom and enabling Congress to act against any badges or incidents of servitude
