Essay On The 13th Amendment

Words: 521
Pages: 3

13th Amendment
During the 1800s, a collective group of revisions, 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, were referred to as the Civil War or Reconstruction Amendments. These laws were created and enforced to ensure equality for recently liberated slaves. The 13th amendment enforced that slavery be banned in the United States, which was a huge milestone for the African American community. They would no longer have to be subjected to harsh treatment and live their lives with a new sense of freedom. This was the first in many steps to ensure that African Americans would be treated equality as a race in the United States. However, the passing of the 13th amendment on December 6, 1865 had a huge effect on the entire African American community.
Before the 13th amendment was passed, African Americans were considered slaves and did not have any rights. They were not viewed as human beings, but more like peoples’ property and were treated very harshly. They were forced to work long hours and degraded everyday by their owners. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), former President Abraham Lincoln was not to fond of the idea of slavery. He decided that abolishing slavery would be the right thing to do for African Americans. Therefore, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation of Proclamation on
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However, this declaration did not grant a free slave his or her freedom. President Lincoln knew this law would not be viewed as a permanent solution. So, he decided to put his focus on passing a constitutional amendment that would abolish slavery. On April 8, 1864, the United States Senate passed the 13th amendment but this victory was short lived. The United States House of Representatives, which was primarily Democrats, denied the amendment because they sided with the name of the states’