The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution
Section 1
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.
Section 2
Congress shall have power by appropriate legislation to enforce the provisions of this article.
The United States Senate had passed an amendment to the Constitution prohibiting slavery on April 8, 1864. But the House defeated the measure in June 1864. After the consideration of legal questions, the House passed the Thirteenth Amendment on January 31, 1865, and it was sent to the states for ratification. The amendment was proclaimed in effect on December 18, 1865.