The Thirteenth Amendment

Dec 18

2 min read

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If you are a student, you can read about the thirteenth amendment in the sections below. If you have questions as you read, you can send me a message, and I will do my best to get back to you.

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The Thirteenth Amendment

December 6, 1865

To be added to the Constitution, an amendment has to pass both the Senate and House of Representatives with a two-thirds majority. The amendment then has to be ratified (approved) by three-fourths of the states. In April 1864, the US Senate passed a proposed amendment banning slavery with a two-thirds majority; however, Democrats in the House of Representatives refused to

vote for the amendment.

In November, as a result of several successful military campaigns, Lincoln won re-election against

his former general, George B. McClellan. The Republicans renewed their attempt to pass an

amendment banning slavery. Lincoln campaigned especially hard. He invited representatives to

the White House to discuss the amendment and encouraged his friends in the House of

Representatives to offer incentives to others willing to vote for the amendment.

On January 13, 1865, the House of Representatives passed the proposed amendment banning

slavery in a vote of 119–56. The amendment was then sent to the states for ratification. Several

states ratified the amendment immediately, but other states did not. President Lincoln was

assassinated on April 14, 1865, so his former vice president, Andrew Johnson, helped continue

the ratification process. Congress passed a law that former Confederate states could only regain

their representation in the federal government after they ratified the Thirteenth Amendment. On

December 6, 1865, Georgia became the twenty-seventh state to ratify the amendment. The three-fourths threshold had been reached, and the amendment was now a part of the Constitution of

the United States of America.

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