Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Amendment XIII (the Thirteenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution states: 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 to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. The Amendment was passed by Congress January 31, 1865, and ratified December 6, 1865. Interpretation and history This amendment was responsible for the abolition of slavery. See also Unratified Amendment Twelve The missing thirteenth amendment External link 13th Amendment 12th Amendment Amendments United States Constitution 14th Amendment This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.