The 13th Amendment and the Abolition of Slavery

On January 31, 1865 the 13th amendment to the constitution, which formally abolished slavery in the United States was passed by the House. It had been previously been passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864. President Abraham Lincoln approved the Joint Resolution of Congress on February 1, 1865, submitting the proposed amendment to the state legislatures for ratification. The required number of states had ratified the proposed amendment by December 6, 1865. To see the joint resolution with President Lincoln's signature visit this site: http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/