The 13th Amendment, ratified on December 6, 1865, abolished slavery in the United States.

It states, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." This landmark amendment marked a significant shift in American society, officially ending the legal institution of slavery that had persisted for centuries. Its passage was a crucial outcome of the Civil War and laid the groundwork for subsequent civil rights advancements, reshaping the nation’s moral and legal landscape.