when was slavery abolished in america

Slavery in America was abolished with the passing and ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The 13th Amendment was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, officially ending slavery in the United States. Before this, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, freeing slaves in Confederate states in rebellion, but it did not end slavery throughout the entire country. The 13th Amendment legally abolished slavery nationwide, stating that "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".