"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." — Thirteenth Amendment, ratified December 1865
Lincoln's role in securing this amendment included:
- A
Issuing an executive order requiring its ratification by all states
- Bcheck_circle
Lobbying lame-duck House Democrats to provide the two-thirds majority in January 1865
- C
Vetoing weaker compromise versions proposed by Radical Republicans
- D
Drafting the original text personally during the 1864 campaign
Explanation
Lincoln pressured wavering House Democrats during the lame-duck session to pass the amendment in January 1865; the Senate had already approved it. Constitutional amendments cannot be vetoed.