What Is The 13th Amendment Essay

Prior to the 13th amendment, in 1776, slavery was legal in every state included in the 13 colonies. About four million people, almost all African Americans, were held as slaves at the time. The 13th amendment was passed by congress on January 13, 1865 and ratified on December 6, 1865. This amendment guarantees the freedom of all slaves. After the American Revolution the states were divided into two categories, states that allowed slavery and states that didn’t. Abe Lincoln released his Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which only freed slaves in the confederate states. Many citizens thought the Emancipation Proclamation freed all slaves, but it didn't. All slaves didn’t have freedom until the 13th amendment was set in stone. The 13th amendment was separated into two sections. The first stating "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, nor any place subject to their jurisdiction" (Greene/Mason-McAward p. 1). The second section states "Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation" (Greene/Mason-McAward p. 1). What that is saying is nobody that resides in the United States is allowed to own a slave. All slaves that this time were freed.
Whites were very upset that their slaves were free so they basically hated us even more. They fought for "no negro equality". All the fighting they did seem to work out in their favor because in the 1890's segregation became legal. Blacks were prohibited from voting, despite the 15th amendment stating no one is to be denied the right to vote, no matter their skin tone. The state prohibited them. Even though there were laws stating that there is no discrimination, there was still discrimination for a very long time. Blacks began to have equal rights, starting in