The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1865, resulted in the abolition of slavery in the United States. It reads, "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." This amendment eliminated the legal basis for slavery and granted freedom to millions of African Americans who were enslaved prior to its adoption.
