- Event type: CREATE
United States Thirteenth Amendment 1863-65
An amendment to the United States Constitution to abolish slavery introduced during the American Civil War.
The House of Representatives
The House of Representatives of the Thirty-Eighth Session of Congress
To see the full record of a committee, click on the corresponding committee on the map below.
Session 3653: 1864-01-11 12:00:00
Mr. Gordon N. Mott joins the House; H. R. 118 is first introduced and postponed.
Document View:
H. R. 118
A BILL
To abolish certain laws in the conquered territory of the Confederate States, and to prescribe terms of their admission into the Union.
Whereas certain States of the Union have, by a majority of their citizens, declared their independence of the United States, and rejected and wholly repudiated the Constitution thereof, so far as they had power, and have formed a separate government called the "Confederate States," in which name and under whose authority they have made war on the United States, and have asserted their independence by force of arms, have claimed to be a belligerent power, which claim has been recognized by the great powers of Europe and by the United States; and whereas by said acts the Confederate States have, so far as they are concerned, abrogated and destroyed all municipal obligations, compacts, constitutions, and laws which were formerly binding on said belligerents; and whereas the said "Confederate States" can claim no protection nor invoke in their defence any of the provisions of the Constitution or laws of the United States, but are subject to the laws of war and the laws of nations alone; and whereas the people and territory of a belligerent when conquered retain their own municipal laws and domestic institutions until altered by the conqueror; and whereas there is no department of the government invested by the Constitution of the United States with sufficient power permanently to change or annul such laws and institutions, except Congress: Therefore––
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, within all the territory of the "Confederate States" which has been or may be conquered and subdued by the federal arms, all laws and parts of laws which permit slavery shall be, and are hereby, abolished; and slavery shall never again be established within said territory; that hereafter no portion of said territory shall be admitted into the Union as a State, or be represented in its Congress, (except by delegates, if the same shall be authorized,) until the people within the territory forming such State, shall, by its organic law, forever prohibit slavery therein.
Decisions yet to be taken
- H. R. 118 (introduced on 1864-01-11 12:00:00 - CREATE - e731059) [This document]
Document Timeline
- H. R. 118 (introduced on 1864-01-11 12:00:00 - CREATE - e731059) [This document]
[view current proposal at this moment]
- None (introduced on 1864-01-11 12:00:00 - POSTPONE_DEBATE - e731060) [view current proposal at this moment]