The Thirteenth Amendment To The U.S. Constitution:
On January 31, 1865, The House Of Representatives Passed The Thirteenth Amendment To The U.S. Constitution, By A Narrow Margin, With 11 Democrats Defecting To The Republican Side To Vote Yes.The Amendment Had Already Passed In The Senate, On April 8, 1864.
The Amendment Reads:
Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Section 2. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Despite The Emancipation Proclamation Issued In 1863, The 13th Amendment Was Still Required Because The Proclamation Was A War Statement That Used Limited Language And Exerted Even More Questionable Legal Power.
It's Estimated That Only One Out Of Every Three Slaves Was Freed Under The Emacipation Proclamation.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
