The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime for which one has been convicted. Passed by Congress in 1865 and ratified later that year, the amendment formally ended slavery across the United States. However, it allowed for exceptions in cases of criminal punishment, which some argue led to exploitative convict leasing systems and the modern system of mass incarceration in the U.S. The document provides an overview of primary sources and historical collections at the Library of Congress related to the 13th Amendment and the abolition of slavery.

1. Prison Planet’s Free Labor Force
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2. Primary Documents in American History
13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
The 13th Amendment to the Constitution declared 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." Formally abolishing
slavery in the United States, the 13th Amendment was
passed by the Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified
by the states on December 6, 1865.
Library of Congress Web Site | External Web Sites |
Selected Bibliography
American Memory Historical Collections
Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress
Thomas Nast.
John Nicolay sent Lincoln a telegram reporting passage of Emancipation.
the 13th Amendment by Congress on January 31, 1865. Philadelphia: S. Bott, 1865.
Wood engraving.
Search the Abraham Lincoln Papers using the phrase "13th Prints and Photographs
amendment" to locate additional documents on this topic, Division.
including a copy of the 13th Amendment submitted to the Reproduction Number:
states that was signed by Abraham Lincoln and members of LC-USZ62-2573
Congress.
The Alfred Whital Stern Collection of Lincolniana
This collection documents the life of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) both through writings by
and about Lincoln as well as a large body of publications concerning the issues of the times
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3. including slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and related topics.
Search this collection to find a number of items related to the abolition of slavery, including a
copy of the 13th Amendment.
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation
The Senate debated and passed the 13th Amendment on April 8, 1864, by a vote of 38 to 6.
After initially rejecting the legislation, the House of Representatives finally passed the 13th
Amendment on January 31, 1865, by a vote of 119 to 56. On February 1, 1865, President
Abraham Lincoln signed a Joint Resolution submitting the proposed 13th Amendment to the
states. Finally, on December 18, 1865, Secretary of State William Seward issued a statement
verifying the ratification of the 13th Amendment.
Search in the 38th Congress to find additional information on the 13th Amendment.
From Slavery to Freedom: The African-American Pamphlet Collection, 1822-1909
Includes speeches by T.B. Van Buren and Gen. Hiram Walbridge given during the ratification
process of the 13th Amendment in the New York House of Assembly. Also found within this
collection is a report issued by the Union League Club of New York recommending the
approval of the 13th Amendment.
The Nineteenth Century in Print
Contains an article written by John Hay and John Nicolay, Lincoln's private secretaries, that
discusses the history of the 13th Amendment. Also includes an article in the Continental
Monthly that examines the initial rejection of the 13th Amendment by the House of
Representatives in 1864.
Chronicling America
The Chronicling America site allows you to search and view newspaper pages from 1860 to
1922 from the following states: Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii,
Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York,
Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and
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4. Washington.
Search this collection to find newspaper articles about the 13th Amendment.
A selection of articles on the 13th Amendment includes:
 "Freedom Triumphant," New-York Daily Tribune. (New-York [N.Y.]),
February 01, 1865.
 "The Constitutional Amendment," The Daily Phoenix. (Columbia, S.C.),
December 14, 1865
 "The Official Announcement of the Adoption of the Constitutional Amendment-
-Opinions of the Leading Press," Daily National Republican. (Washington,
D.C.), December 21, 1865
Exhibitions
The African-American Mosaic
This exhibit marks the publication of The African-American Mosaic: A Library of Congress
Resource Guide for the Study of Black History and Culture. This exhibit is a sampler of the
kinds of materials and themes covered by this publication. Includes a section on the abolition
movement and the end of slavery.
African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship
This exhibition showcases the African American collections of the Library of Congress.
Displays more than 240 items, including books, government documents, manuscripts, maps,
musical scores, plays, films, and recordings. Includes a brochure from an exhibit at the Library
of Congress to mark the 75th Anniversary of the 13th Amendment.
American Treasures of the Library of Congress: Abolition of Slavery
An online exhibit of the engrossed copy of the 13th Amendment as signed by Abraham Lincoln
and members of Congress.
External Web Sites
The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln Association
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5. The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation,
Government Printing Office
Documents from Freedom: A Documentary History of Emancipation, 1861-1867, University of
Maryland
End of Slavery: The Creation of the 13th Amendment, HarpWeek
“I Will Be Heard!” Abolitionism in America, Cornell University Library, Division of Rare and
Manuscript Collections
Mr. Lincoln and Freedom, The Lincoln Institute
Our Documents, 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, National Archives and Records
Administration
Selected Bibliography
Hoemann, George H. What God Hath Wrought: The Embodiment of Freedom in the Thirteenth
Amendment. New York: Garland Pub., 1987. [Catalog Record]
Holzer, Harold, and Sara Vaughn Gabbard, eds. Lincoln and Freedom: Slavery, Emancipation,
and the Thirteenth Amendment. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2007. [Catalog
Record]
Maltz, Earl M. Civil Rights, the Constitution, and Congress, 1863-1869. Lawrence, Kan.:
University Press of Kansas, 1990. [Catalog Record]
Tsesis, Alexander. The Thirteenth Amendment and American Freedom: A Legal History. New
York : New York University Press, 2004. [Catalog Record]
Vorenberg, Michael. Final Freedom: The Civil War, the Abolition of Slavery, and the
Thirteenth Amendment. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001. [Catalog
Record]
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6. Younger Readers
Schleichert, Elizabeth. The Thirteenth Amendment: Ending Slavery. Springfield, N.J.: Enslow
Publishers, 1998. [Catalog Record]
Source of this document
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/13thamendment.html
Black Studies Resources:
 A Brief History Of The New Afrikan Prison Struggle (Parts 1-2)
 Who Are The New Afrikan Political Prisoners and Prisoners Of War
 The Assata Shakur Multi-Media Guide (Intro. By Assata Shakur: We Can Win Our
Liberation)
 Cointel Pro Revisited: FBI Domestic Intelligence Activities and the Sabotage of
Legitimate Dissent
 Who is Dr. Mutulu Shakur-A Life Long Activist In The New Afrikan Independence
Movement
 The RBG Quest For Black Power Reader-A Luta Continua (The Struggle Continues)
 FROLINAN-Front For The Liberation Of The New Afrikan Nation
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