An amendment to the United States Constitution to abolish slavery introduced during the American Civil War.
The Senate of the Thirty-Eighth Session of Congress
To see the full record of a committee, click on the corresponding committee on the map below.
S. Res. 16 is reported from the Committee of the Whole, with amendments, and debated.
JOINT RESOLUTION
Submitting to the legislatures of the several States a proposition to amend the Constitution of the United States.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, [[-e866770](two thirds of both Houses concurring,) That the following articles[-e866770] be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States as an[+e866770] amendments[-e866770] to the Constitution of the United States, which, when ratified by three fourths of said Legislatures, shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as a part of the said Constitution, namely:][-e866770]
ARTICLE XIII.[+e866770]All persons are equal before [+e866789] [+e866770 -e866789]
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SEC[+e866770 -e866789]. 1.[-e866789] Ne[+e866770]i[+e866770 -e866789]t[+e866770]h[+e866770 -e866789]er[+e866770]w, so that no person can hold anoth[+e866789] s[+e866770 -e866789]Slavery [-e866789]n[+e866770 -e866789]or involunt[-e866789]ary servitude, e[-e866789]xcept slave; and the Congress may make all laws necessary and proper to carry this article into effect everywhere[+e866789]as a punishment for crime, [-e866789]w[+e866770 -e866789]shall not exist in the United States. [-e866789]
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ART. 2. The Co[-e866789]ng[-e866770]reof t[+e866770]ss, w[-e866770]henever[-e866770] p[+e866770]a m[-e866770]ajor[-e866789]i[-e866770]tyd[+e866789] [-e866789]shall have been d[+e866770 -e866789]uly [+e866770]co[+e866770 -e866789]nvi[+e866770]of the mem[-e866770]bers elected[-e866789],[+e866770 -e866789] to each House shall [-e866789]exist within th[+e866770 -e866789]e U[+e866770]ereof[+e866789]nited States[+e866770 -e866789]deem it necessary, may pr[-e866789]opose amendments to the Constitution[-e866770], or any place subject to[+e866770], on the application of the Legislatures of a majority of[-e866770] their jurisdic[+e866770] several States, shall call a conven[-e866770]tion. [+e866770]
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SEC. 2. Congress[+e866770] for proposing amendments, which in either case[-e866770] shall have power to enforce[+e866770]be valid, to all intents and purposes, as part of the Constitution, when ratified by[-e866770] the Leg[-e866770]is article[+e866770]latures or two thirds of the several States, or[-e866770] by appropriate legisl[+e866770]conventions in two thirds thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratific[-e866770]ation may be proposed by Congress[-e866770].