Inside the Vault: The Thirteenth Amendment and Its Significance
by Gilder Lehrman Institute Staff
In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation declared the end of slavery in the rebellious states, but slavery was not abolished in the United States until after the Civil War ended in 1865. What did it take to get the Thirteenth Amendment ratified? How have interpretations of the Thirteenth Amendment evolved over time?
On January 2, 2025, our curators discussed the road to the Thirteenth Amendment with Dr. Touré Reed, Professor of History, Illinois State University.
Download the slides from the presentation here.
FEATURED DOCUMENTS
- Emancipation Proclamation, January 1, 1863
- Reading the Emancipation Proclamation, 1864
- Fragment of Lincoln’s last State of the Union Address concerning the Thirteenth Amendment, December 6, 1864
- Sealed certification of the Thirteenth Amendment, February 2, 1865
USE THE TIMESTAMPS BELOW TO JUMP TO THE TOPIC YOU WANT TO VIEW
0:17–6:18: Today’s Document
06:19–12:32: The Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth
12:33–14:58: The Thirteenth Amendment
14:59–21:29 The Felony Exception Clause
21:30–30:27: Context of the Clause
30:28–34:09: The Law Enforcement Assistance Act and mass incarceration
34:10–40:04: Navigating this subject in the classroom
40:05–44:00: The reach of the Emancipation Proclamation
44:01–46:09: The wording of the Felony Exception Clause
46:10–56:27: The complexities of history
52:21–59:50: The Amendments of the Reconstruction Era
RELATED RESOURCES
- Essay: “Lincoln and Abolitionism” by Douglas L. Wilson, History Now 6 (Winter 2005)
- Essay: “The Emancipation Proclamation: Bill of Lading or Ticket to Freedom?” by Allen C. Guelzo, History Now 6 (Winter 2005)
- Essay: “Allies for Emancipation? Black Abolitionists and Abraham Lincoln” by Manisha Sinha, History Now 18 (Winter 2008)
- Inside the Vault: “The Emancipation Proclamation & FDR’s Advice to Students”
- Online Exhibition: “Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation”
- Spotlight on a Primary Source: “A proposed Thirteenth Amendment to prevent secession, 1861”
- Spotlight on a Primary Source: “Ratifying the Thirteenth Amendment, 1866”
- Video: “The Emancipation Proclamation” by Allen C. Guelzo
- Video: “Criticisms of the Emancipation Proclamation” by Allen C. Guelzo