About 13th Amendment Freedom Week

Lincoln recommended the 13th Amendment to be a part of the 1864 Republican Party Platform. 

Blacks were free in some states but not all until the ratification of the 13th Amendment on December 6, 1865. The 13th Amendment ended slavery and involuntary servitude in the U.S. and all its territories except as a punishment for duly convicted criminal acts. It made all law-abiding Blacks free.

The 13thAmendment invalidated the 3/5 Clause of the Constitution. It also voided Article IV, section 2 of the U.S. Constitution referring to runaway slaves that stated: “No person held to service or labor in one state, under the law thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due.” It did not have to void out Article 1, section 9, which stated, “importation of certain persons” (pertaining to the slave trade) could be stopped beginning in 1808. This Article was already voided with the abolition of the slave trade on March 2, 1807, effective January 1, 1808. It was referred to as the “1808 transatlantic slave Trade Act.”

The 13th Amendment was passed by the U.S. Senate on April 8, 1864, by a 38 to 6 vote. It was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on January 31, 1865, by a 119 to 56 vote. President Abraham Lincoln signed a Joint Resolution on February 1, 1865, submitting the proposed 13th Amendment to the states for ratification. One hundred percent of the Republican Congressmen voted for the 13th Amendment, while only 23 percent of the Democrats voted for it. Despite the lack of Democratic Party support, the 13th Amendment was ratified by the states on December 6, 1865.

The 13th Amendment freed the slaves in Kentucky (approximately 40,000), Delaware (around 1,000), New Jersey, and New Hampshire since all the other slaves had been freed prior to it by state legislatures or the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War victories by the Union forces. Although New Jersey abolished slavery in 1804, she continued to retain slaves over a certain age as ‘apprentices for life.’ Apprentice people is another name for “people who have not really arrived yet as total human beings.” Also, slavery was still legal in New Hampshire, even though it was reported there were no known slaves at the time. It was the 13th Amendment that abolished these laws and officially eliminated slavery in Kentucky, Delaware, New Jersey, and New Hampshire.

The 13th Amendment reads as follows: “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….” The first paragraph of the D.C. Emancipation Proclamation dated April 16, 1862, has almost the exact same wording as the 13th Amendment: “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except for crime, whereof the party shall be duly convicted, shall hereafter exist in said District.”  Also, the 1787 Northwest Ordinance, Article VI, has similar wording: “There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory otherwise than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted….” The Civil Rights Act of 1866 has similar wording.

The 13th Amendment eliminated any possibility or controversy of future states being slave states.  Thus, all states that came into the union after the 13th Amendment were free states. The 13th Amendment also stopped the possibility of reinstating future ‘white’ indentured servants or the indentured servants of Africans, Asians, Indians, Chinese, etc. The only way anyone (regardless of race) could lose his freedom was that the person would be criminally convicted of a crime and had to be removed from society for the good of society and/or for his own good. 

These individuals would be duly convicted prisoners, not slaves. Many other countries would not invest very much in prisons or rehabilitation. They just would kill people by a shooting squad, hanging, decapitation, or stoning. Or they would castrate people or cut off their hands or feet. Ironically, some of the same societies also permit(ed) slavery, which is the same as robbing or stealing people’s mental and physical labor. This slavery was sometimes for life; it slowly killed them – physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Even though it can be argued that some of the above crimes may call for such harsh (capital) punishment, some crimes can call for rehabilitation through the prison system. This is more in line with what the 13th Amendment states.

The principal Congressmen responsible for drafting the 13th Amendment were Republican Senator Lyman Trumbull from Illinois, Republican Senator John B. Henderson from Missouri, and Republican Senator Charles Sumner from Massachusetts; Republican House of Representatives James M. Ashley from Ohio; and Republican James F. Wilson from Iowa.

Frederick Douglass called President Lincoln a ‘friend and a liberator.’ It would be wise for black Americans to respect and honor this man for the excellent work that he did on their behalf. It would be foolish for blacks to allow some indirect, behind-the-scenes, deceptively manipulating negative influences to destroy their affinity and affection for any icons of freedom and self-reliance. Two of these icons that blacks must guard and protect are President Lincoln and Booker T. Washington. They were two giants who contributed to their freedom and advancement. They were two of many men who clearly lived, sacrificed, and died to help uplift black Americans. Blacks must not allow anyone to make them turn their backs on these great American heroes, whether it be for some sinister Confederate sympathizers who think that they are still fighting the Civil War or for some Socialist propagandists who want to separate blacks as much as possible from their foundation…pillars of great leadership. In a state of weakness, minus their anchors, it becomes easier for these conspirators to tighten their controls and designs on the black masses by manipulating them into falling for the victimization syndrome, government dependency, coveting other people’s wealth, and being used by socialists to divide and conquer America.

In judging President Abraham Lincoln, it is not fair or just to compare him with some of the contemporary abolitionists of his day. Nor should he be compared and judged by any of his contemporary Senators or House of Representatives. It is a historical fact that some of these men were more advanced in their understanding and activities concerning freedom and the end of slavery. But they all, including President Abraham Lincoln, belonged to a ‘team.’ They all worked together, and they all had roles to play. Each made his respective contribution and should be acknowledged and commended for it. Some abolitionists and some Congressmen had been active for years in the freedom movement, and some only got involved when Lincoln was elected president. But what was needed, and the missing piece to the puzzle, was a President of the United States who would support their efforts.

Only President Lincoln could fill that position. Some others tried to be President (more than once) but failed. Lincoln himself barely won the Presidency. When he became president, he signed/supported every piece of legislation that helped end slavery and the illicit slave trade: 1. 1st Confiscation Act (1861), 2. Ended the illicit slave trade and was the first President of the U.S. to allow a slave trader to be executed, 3. D.C. Emancipation (1862), 4. 2nd Confiscation Act (1864), 5. Emancipation Proclamation (effective January 1, 1863). It avoided the wording of deportation and colonization like the 2nd Confiscation Act did, allowing black men to join the Union Army, 6. He allowed black men to fight in the Civil War and kill American white men, which was huge in those days, 7. First U.S. President to officially recognized Haiti as independent and sovereign, 8. First U.S. President to officially recognize Liberia as independent and sovereign, 9. Special Field Order #15 (40 acres and a Mule), 10. The Freedmen Bureau (1865), 11. The 13th Amendment (1865). Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on his own and was a major advocate of the 13th Amendment, which ended slavery in America. President Lincoln decided to fight the war, which many other Presidents may not have.

The war was probably the biggest factor behind changing men’s minds about slavery, all the legislation to end slavery, and the end of slavery itself. Lincoln was a hands-on Commander in Chief. He inherited many Generals who were Democrats and sympathizers with the South, which made it very difficult for him to command and control. But he overcame that disadvantage and eventually won through.

The war he fought was different from that which any other President had ever fought. It was not a war of foreign invasion. It was not a war where American soldiers fought in distant lands. The war that Lincoln had to fight, and win was a Civil War! He had to fight against his people, his land, and even his neighborhood. He was surrounded by his enemies every single day and night for over four years. His life was in danger from the beginning of his Presidency to the end. He had opposition within his own Republican Party, some of it justified, and some of it suspect. But he was in a complicated position because the ‘buck stopped with him.’ All eyes were on him 24/7 - nationally and internationally. He was confronted with ‘the problem of centuries’ that no other President and King (or Queen) before him had ever solved (or maybe even wanted to solve). Slavery and involuntary servitude had been in existence in America for approximately 250 years before his Presidency. But before Lincoln was martyred, both slavery and involuntary servitude were defeated with his help.

Even if the abolitionists had the desire, they could not have gotten very far. If they had criticized prior Presidents like Buchanan, Pierce, Jackson, and others…. submitted legislation to them the way they did Lincoln, nearly all of it would have been thrown back in their faces. Just like it was with the Democrat President Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln.

Like it or not, President Abraham Lincoln was ‘the man of the hour.’ He was essential and necessary for the times in which he was living. No other Republican could have gotten elected. No other President would have fought the war, and no other would have signed the legislation, issued the Emancipation Proclamation, or been an advocate for the 13th Amendment.

If Lincoln is going to be judged, especially on the issue of race, and if he is going to be compared with anyone or any group, then it is only fair that he be judged by the same standards of other Presidents before him and doing his era. Also, if he must be judged and compared with anyone, let him be judged and compared with all the Monarchs (Kings, Queens, etc.) of Great Britain who ruled America from the beginning of slavery until the Declaration of Independence. 

For the record and to know who these Presidents and Kings and Queens were, below is a list of them all: Kings and Queens - 1. James I(great-great-grandson of Henry VII), 16031625; 2. Charles I (second son of James), 1625-1649; 3. The Commonwealth under the Cromwell rule, 1649-1659; 4. Charles II (oldest son of Charles I), 1660-1685; 5. James II (brother of Charles II), 1685-1688; 6. William of Orange (grandson of Charles I) and Mary (daughter of James II), 1689-1694; 7. William III (ruled alone after the death of Mary), 1694-1702; 8. Anne (sister of Mary), 1702-1714; 9. George I (great-grandson of James I), 1714-1727; 10. George II (son of George I), 1727-1760; 11. George III(grandson of George II), 1760-1820.

There were 13 Governors of each colony and other individuals who presided over the Continental Congress, who ruled during the transition period from the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution of the United States. 

After that, there are other Presidents to judge and compare President Abraham Lincoln with such as the following: 1. George Washington, 1789-1797; 2. John Adams, 1797-1801; 3. Thomas Jefferson, 1801-1809; James Madison, 1809-1817; 4. James Monroe, 1817-1825; 6. John Quincy Adams, 1825-1829; 7. Andrew Jackson, 18291837; 8. Martin van Buren, 1837-1841; 9. William H. Harrison, 1841; 10. John Tyler, 1841-1845; 11. James K. Polk, 1845- 1849; 12. Zachary Taylor, 1849-1850; 13. Millard Fillmore, 1850-1853; 14. Franklin Pierce, 1853-1857; 15. James Buchanan, 1857-1861...17. Andrew Johnson, 1865-1869; 18. Ulysses S. Grant, 1869-1877 (he was a major help to black Americans, both as a General and President); etc.

Those are the men and women to whom President Abraham Lincoln should be judged and compared. And if this is the case, then he has no reason to be ashamed. How many of these Kings, Queens, and Presidents fought and died to end slavery for the whole nation, ended the illicit slave trade, and supported and signed every piece of legislation to end slavery, including the 13th Amendment. Lincoln was the only one. Some people today want a perfect Lincoln; they want a perfect Lincoln or no Lincoln at all. But in his day and time, he was a giant among men. What he did, no other man or woman in American history has been able to come close – past or present. And four million black people who were in chattel slavery, suffering unto death, with little or no hope, knew it.

There are some black Americans today who insist on destroying President Lincoln for the contributions he made toward the freedom of black people. There were two powerful and opposing forces during his time. Lincoln and the Republican Party (first), Stephen Douglas/Jefferson Davis, and the Democratic Party (second). The former helped Blacks while the latter opposed them. These contemporary black ‘scholars’ who are stumbling all over themselves to put down Lincoln hardly mention Jefferson Davis (and the Democratic Party/Confederates) who seceded from the country and promoted slavery from the very beginning of existence. If they want black Americans to be informed, know their history and their true enemies in that history, why do they not go into such detail to expose these people and their party so that black people can protect themselves, mentally and physically, from such evil forces. Could they be in support of Jefferson Davis and/or his party apparatus, directly or indirectly?

Does any sane person think Jefferson Davis would have ever signed any of the legislation that Lincoln signed? Does anyone in his right mind believe Jefferson Davis would have supported the 13th Amendment? Does anyone with an ounce of sense believe Jefferson Davis never used the ‘n’ word, made jokes about black people, etc.? Nearly everyone did in those days, including Black folks. Well, these black ‘intellectuals’ attacked (from every angle) President Lincoln, who fought men like Jefferson Davis, Stephen Douglas, Robert E. Lee, and Nathan Bedford Forrest. They attacked Lincoln with malice and forethought who fought and died in the battle to keep America united and end slavery as a consequence. But they say nothing about the real avowed perennial enemies of black Americans!

In the process of trying to look ‘macho’ and regain some kind of lost manhood because of their own sense of insecurity competing in ‘white’ America, these ‘intellectuals’ are busy ‘taking on’ an icon, stealing his glory, and encouraging black people to see Lincoln as an enemy. They try to go all the way back before he became President, even beforehe was born, and bring up anything they can imagine supporting their hatred of the man. They completely ignore the ‘timeline’ of his growth and development, which is accorded to most men.

But they also ignore the fact that Jefferson Davis gave the order to fire on Fort Sumter. Jefferson Davis fought to keep black people in slavery and wanted completely to destroy any sign of black manhood and black humanity. Yet, these ‘intellectuals’ do not devote their lives to exposing the wrongs of such men like Jefferson Davis and others. It is no wonder why black American history is so confused, and black people appear to be lost, without clear direction. They argue about the wrong things because they cannot see the real problem or the real enemy. 

But, regardless of all that, Lincoln came up to the plate in the 9th inning, down by 3 runs, with a 3 and 2 count, and hit it out the park – a grand slam! And regardless of any error he may have made during the game, the game was won…he became the hero. Slavery was ended!

Oh, did I hear someone say that some black people are not free or do not want to be free? Some black people want to find a way to remain victims, you say? Other black people like to say that they are still slaves, even by another name, you say? Oh well, we have them too. Let them wallow in self-pity if they must. Let them seek and search for all the ways that they can claim that they are victims, second-class, third-class, inferior, inadequate, not favored, not liked…on and on. For they act only out of reaction and revenge, despite and defiance. They act out of hurt and pain, not faith, hope, and charity. They want to have without doing; they want to do without being.

They have the order reversed and twisted. It should be: ‘be, do, and then have.’ Is the ‘being’ being God’s creatures/servants first, being a human being first, or being black first? Is the ‘doing’ doing all one can do to get what others have, using government, and without doing what others did to get what they have? It is up to this group of Blacks to figure out that covetousness is contrary to God’s law. And that no people will ever be successful relying on it. The path to success is submitting to God’s will and His natural laws, which are manifestations of His will.

Those in the 13th Amendment Freedom Movement will continue to press forward with confidence, self-love, and the knowledge that God made all men equal in terms of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those in the freedom movement know and understand that God created all of mankind with intelligence, wisdom, and abilities to survive optimally. This is simply a part of them as creatures of God. They are not wasting time trying to prove by argument to themselves or anyone else that they have intelligence, wisdom, etc. They already know they do. They are busy (on another level), making it real, regardless of what others do or not do.

While those who want to remain victims, seeking (dark) outside forces to repair their weak minds and suffering souls, those in the 13th Amendment Freedom Movement seek God first, and rely on self-love, self-respect, and self-confidence. They are willing to compete with ‘men among men’ of the entire world. They know that to compete with others, they have to seek the best knowledge and wisdom available in religion (man’s relationship to God - the spirit world in general and the soul of man individually), in ethics (man’s relationship to man - the laws and regulations regulating behavior and conduct), and in economics (man’s relationship to land – the physical world and the accumulation of property and the pursuit of happiness). All three divisions of knowledge are interdependent and deal with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Neither area of study should be left unattended. In order for an individual or group to be whole, all three areas of study are needed and should be mastered. They all have their own grammar, logic, and rhetoric, which should also be mastered.

Yes, Frederick Douglass warned blacks about disrespecting President Lincoln during the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial when he said:

“…We have done a great work for our race today. In doing honor to the memory of our friend and liberator, we have been doing highest honor to ourselves and those who are to come after us. We have been attaching to ourselves a name and fame imperishable and immortal. We have also been defending ourselves from a blighting scandal, when now it shall be said that the colored man is soulless, that he has no appreciation of benefits or benefactors; when the foul reproach of ingratitude is hurled at us, and it is attempted to scourge us beyond the range of human brotherhood, we may calmly point to this monument we have this day erected to memory of Abraham Lincoln….” 

President Abraham Lincoln had his share of faults just like any other human being, but his contribution in helping to free four million black Americans meant that his good far outweighed his bad.

Why should the 13th Amendment be celebrated?

 The 13th Amendment is the only law passed that freed the whole country. It specifically stated: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude…shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction….”  It clearly states, “…within the (entire) United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction….” Not parts, sections, or regions. All other laws, legislation, and acts only freed a portion or section of the country.  

If we are going to celebrate freedom, it only makes logical sense to celebrate when all were freed instead of when some were freed. No one in their right mind celebrates a 100-yard dash race at the 90-yard line. They wait until they reach the finish line or else they will lose. It this case the American people are losing in historical accuracy, integrity, and honesty. To continue, knowingly, to misrepresent the facts of history is to practice deception, fraud, and mislead the American people, especially black Americans. For the sake of the people whom we say we love, teach the truth. The 13th Amendment ended slavery, the 14th Amendment gave black people citizenship and civil rights, and the 15th Amendment gave black people the right to vote. 

Nothing in this article suggests that the other laws and legislations were not important and vital to the quest for freedom. They all were important and played a part. They all were forerunners to the 13th Amendment. But it was the 13th Amendment that closed the deal. It must not be ignored. It must not be trivialized. It must not be forgotten. Knowing about all these laws and legislations is important, but the actual celebration must start with the 13th Amendment! 

The first rule of an activist, a reformist, or a freedom fighter is that he or she must never lie to the people for personal gain or status. He or she must not think they can run from the truth, hide from the truth, or fight the truth. The seeds of truth have been planted all over this country, they are germinating in the minds and hearts of the people, soon to blossom. The best thing to do is embrace the truth and incorporate it in whatever you do, in terms of history and freedom education, or freedom celebration. Now is the time to add, not take away.  

The Northwest Ordinance (July 13, 1787) only covered five states and part of another (Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota east of the Mississippi River. 

The First Confiscation Act (August 6, 1861) only covered runaway slaves. 

The D.C. Emancipation (April 16, 1862) only covered the slaves in Washington D.C. 

The Second Confiscation Act (July 17, 1862) only covered freed slaves of Civilian and Military Officers in the South where Union forces had the power. 

The Emancipation Proclamation (Issue September 22, 1862, effective January 1, 1863) covered the slaves in the eleven states that were in rebellion. The 13thAmendment was the only law that freed the slaves, and it covered the whole USA and all of its territories.  

The six main laws, ordinances, legislations, and acts that contributed to the end of slavery are:

The Northwest Ordinance (1877) made sure that all the territories in the Northwest Territories, once they were approved to be states, would not allow slavery to exist within their borders. These states included Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and parts of Minnesota (east of the Mississippi, because the west of the Mississippi belonged to the French at the time).

Article VI

“…neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory otherwise than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted….”

It freed runaway slaves who had been forced to fight or work for the Confederate armies. It authorized the Union's seizure of rebel property, including slaves, from owners who knowingly aided and abetted insurrection against the Union. The Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Lincoln. It freed runaway slaves but not anybody else. 

It freed only the slaves in the city of Washington D.C. It was signed by President Lincoln three months before the Second Confiscation Act and nine months before the Emancipation Proclamation. The D.C. Emancipation freed 3,100 Black people. It compensated slave owners. It is also called the Compensation Emancipation Act because it is the only example of the Federal Government compensating former slave owners for their slaves. It reads as follows:

Section 1. 

“…neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except for crime, whereof the party shall be duly convicted, shall hereafter exist in said District.”

4. The Second Confiscation Act – July 1862 

This act was in response to the Confederate law that confiscated the southern properties of Union supporters. The Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Lincoln. It freed slaves of civilians and military Confederate officials, whether the slaves were used for military purposes or not. It called for the confiscation of property and punishment for all rebels as well as those who committed treason. It was mainly enforceable in areas of the South occupied by the Union Army. It reads as follows: 

Section 9 

“And be it further enacted, That all slaves of persons who shall hereafter be engaged in rebellion against the government of the United States, or who shall in any way give aid or comfort thereto, escaping from such persons and taking refuge within the lines of the army; and all slaves captured from such persons or deserted by them and coming under the control of the government of the United States; and all slaves of such person found on [or] being within any place occupied by rebel forces and afterwards occupied by the forces of the United States, shall be deemed captives of war, and shall be forever free of their servitude, and not again held as slaves.” 

This act was very strong and called for the freeing of slaves, confiscation of property, and punishment for all rebels and those who committed treason. It did not cover the Border States and allowed for the deportation of freed slaves and even colonization. It led to the Emancipation Proclamation two months later. And the Emancipation Proclamation led to the 13th Amendment, which President Abraham Lincoln also signed. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery for all law-abiding Americans, regardless of race, religion, or sex.

5. Emancipation Proclamation – (issued September 22, 1862, effective January 1, 1863)

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, to become effective 100 days later on January 1, 1863. Per Article II, section 2 of the United States Constitution, President Lincoln was “... Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several states, when called into the actual Service of the United States....” And by virtue of his authority as Commander in Chief, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation “... as a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing said rebellion...” of those in ACTUAL ARMED rebellion against the authority and government of the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation freed those slaves only in states/territories (or designated parts of a State) in rebellion against the United States would “thenceforward, and forever free.” 

However, slaves were not immediately freed because at the time it was issued, Lincoln knew that the slave states had to be defeated before the slaves could be freed. The Emancipation Proclamation did not free or attempt to free those slaves in states/territories that were not in ACTUAL ARMED rebellion against the authority and government of the United States. President Lincoln did not want to antagonize the Border States, fearing that they might join the Confederacy. 

The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by the President and not passed by Congress. It did not compensate slave owners. It stated that Blacks “of suitable condition” would be allowed to join the armed services. There were 185,000 black Americans who joined the Union Army and 19,000 who joined the Navy. Approximately 40,000 black men died in the Civil War, and they all fought bravely to help win the war. The Emancipation Proclamation stated that Blacks should “abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defense” and “... they labor faithfully for reasonable wages.” President Lincoln believed this Emancipation Proclamation “... to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity.”

6. The 13th Amendment (ratified December 6, 1865)

Black people were free in some states, but not all until the ratification of the 13th Amendment. The 13th Amendment ended slavery and involuntary servitude in the U.S. and all its territories except as a punishment for duly convicted criminal acts. It made all law-abiding Black people free.

It invalidated the 3/5 Clause. It also voided Article IV, section 2 of the U.S. Constitution referring to runaway slaves that stated: “No person held to service or labor in one state, under the law thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due.” It did not have to void out Article 1, section 9, which stated, “importation of certain persons” (pertaining to the slave trade) could be stopped beginning in 1808. This Article was already voided with the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, effective January 1, 1808.

The 13th Amendment was passed by the U.S. Senate on April 8, 1864, by a 38 to 6 vote. It was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on January 31, 1865, by a 119 to 56 vote. President Abraham Lincoln signed a Joint Resolution on February 1, 1865, submitting the proposed 13th Amendment to the states for ratification. One hundred percent of the Republican Congressmen voted for the 13th Amendment, while only 23 percent of the Democrats voted for it. Despite the lack of Democratic Party support, the 13th Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865. Lincoln recommended the 13th Amendment to be a part of the 1864 Republican Party Platform.

The 13th Amendment freed the slaves in Kentucky (approximately 40,000), Delaware (around 1,000), New Jersey, New Hampshire, and West Virginia since all the other slaves had been freed prior to it by state legislatures or the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War victories by the Union forces. Although New Jersey abolished slavery in 1804, she continued to retain slaves over a certain age as ‘apprentices for life.’ Apprentice people is another name for “people who have not really arrived yet as total human beings.” Also, slavery was still legal in New Hampshire, even though it was reported to have no known slaves at the time. It was the 13th Amendment that abolished these laws and eliminated slavery in Kentucky, Delaware, New Jersey, and New Hampshire.

The 13th Amendment reads as follows: “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….” 

The 13th Amendment eliminated any possibility or controversy of future states being slave states; thus, all states that came into the union after the 13th Amendment were free states. The 13th Amendment also stopped the possibility of reinstating future ‘white’ indentured servants or the indentured servants of Africans, Asians, Indians, Chinese, etc. The only way anyone (regardless of race) could lose his freedom was that the person would be criminally convicted of a crime and had to be removed from society for the good of society and/or for his own good. However, individuals would be duly convicted prisoners, not slaves. Some other countries would not invest very much in prisons or rehabilitation. They just would kill people by a shooting squad, hanging, decapitation, or stoning. Or, they would castrate people or cut off their hands or feet. Ironically, some of the same societies also permit(ed) slavery, which is the same as robbing or stealing people’s mental and physical labor. Slavery was sometimes for life; it slowly killed them – physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Even though it can be argued that some of the above crimes may call for such harsh (capital) punishment, some crimes can call for rehabilitation through the prison system. This is more in line with what the 13th Amendment states.