American History - Thirteenth Amendment

Term Paper Final Draft

        Possibly the most impactful and important of the Amendments, the Thirteenth Amendment was created in the 1860’s with the basic goal to abolish slavery. African Americans began to make goals to accomplish their dreams with their new found freedom (“Life After the Thirteenth Amendment”). The governments of the states created loopholes to the amendment by passing laws and began to bring the African Americans to a lower position (“The 13th Amendment”). Even though this Amendment was a huge step for African Americans and freed them as slaves, they were still denied their basic rights and freedoms.

        Going back to the content stated in the thirteenth amendment, it specifically states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude…” meaning the amendment abolished slavery and the service based on gratitude to their master has been has been terminated (“The 13th Amendment). It continues, “…except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted…” meaning the only exception to the law is when forced labor is used as a punishment (“The 13th Amendment). The amendment also states“…shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction…” which is saying that slavery cannot exist in the United States or any place that belongs to the country (“13th Amendment”). Lastly, “…Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation” meaning congress has the power to enforce this amendment (“13th Amendment). The amendment clearly abolishes the act of slavery but does not specify the freedoms to the African Americans. The opposite of slavery is freedom which is being able to act without restraints but the basic freedoms being denied to African Americans went beyond just emancipation from slavery. The amendment only limited the unfair treatment to African Americans as slaves; it left a large grey area as to what freedoms were to be granted to them.

        The Amendment was created to fulfill the content of the Emancipation Proclamation and it did by abolishing slavery (Sanders). To the government they were doing what they thought was giving freedom to African Americans. To the African Americans they expected equality but only got basic freedom from their slavery. The amendment resulted in strictly prohibiting the act called slavery. Although the act of slavery was banned the states created alternative acts of work for African Americans that were very similar to slavery. The lack of rights was still prevalent but began to be fought once the African Americans realized how limited they were to the basic equality for all Americans.

After the amendment was implemented, states began to pass laws to keep African Americans in poverty and at a position similar to when they were slaves. Children were forced to serve as trainees in local industries (“Life After the Thirteenth Amendment”). African Americans were denied basic rights such as buying land and did not get fair pay at work (“Life After the Thirteenth Amendment”). Once after the war at a meeting for the American Anti-Slavery Society, William Lloyd Garrison said the goal was achieved and the group can now disband. Frederick Douglass came out and said “Slavery is not abolished until the black man has the ballot” meaning until African Americans have the right to vote. Just this small conversation shows the differences in the definitions of freedom between the people of the government and the African Americans (“Life After the Thirteenth Amendment”). Even after Douglass defined the extent of what the blacks wanted, they were still denied the right to vote through violence, literacy tests, or even if they owned property or not. Despite being literate, some people determined blacks as illiterate and prohibited them from voting.