Slavery ended at different times depending on the region, but in the United States, it officially ended when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified on December 6, 1865. This amendment abolished slavery throughout the entire country. Before that, the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared enslaved people free in the Confederate states in rebellion against the Union, but did not free all enslaved people everywhere. The Civil War, which was fought largely over the issue of slavery, ended in April 1865, and the final legal abolition came with the ratification of the 13th Amendment later that year. In other parts of the world, such as the British Empire, slavery was abolished earlier—specifically with the Slavery Abolition Act that took effect on August 1, 1834, freeing enslaved people in British colonies. In summary:
- British Empire abolished slavery on August 1, 1834.
- U.S. Emancipation Proclamation issued January 1, 1863.
- U.S. slavery fully abolished with the 13th Amendment ratified on December 6, 1865.
