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  1. Overview: United States Thirteenth Amendment 1863-65
  2. Full Record: United States Thirteenth Amendment 1863-65
  3. Committee:The House of Representatives
  4. Session: 1863-12-14 12:00:00
  5. 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

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Document introduced in:

Session 3522: 1863-12-14 12:00:00

The newly elected Chaplain is sworn in; the Standing Committees are appointed by the Speaker; H. R. 14, H. R. 21, H. R. 24, and H. Res. 9 are first introduced and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary; Mr. Fink, Mr. Harding, Mr. Wadsworth, and Mr. Holman present resolutions to the House.

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H. R. 21

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Whereas all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the inalienable right to life, liberty and the fruits of an honest toil, and

Whereas the Government of the United States was instituted to secure these rights, and

Whereas the Constitution declares that no persons shall be deprived of liberty without due process of law + also provides (article V. clause 2) "This Constitution + the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof, shall be the supreme law of the land + the judges in every state shall be bound thereby any thing in the Constitution or laws of any state to the country notwithstanding" and

Whereas it is now demonstrated by the rebellion that slavery is absolutely incompatible with the union, peace + general welfare for which Congress is to provide, Therefore

Sec 1st

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled

That all persons heretofore held in slavery in any of the States or Territories of the United States are hereby declared freedmen and forever released from slavery or involuntary servitude except as punishment for crime on due conviction.

SEC II And be it further enacted – That all persons declared free by the foregoing section shall be protected as all other free citizens are protected from unreasonable searches + seizures + shall be permitted to sue + be liable to be sued + to testify as witnesses in the several courts of the United States in all the several courts of the United States in all cases in which free white citizens are now or may hereafter be permitted to sue or be liable to be sued in said courts or are now or may hereafter be permitted to testify therein.

SEC III And be it further enacted that if any person shall hereafter seize or arrest or cause to be seized or arrested + imprisoned any slave declared free by this act with intent to reduce such slave to involuntary servitude or bondage every person so offending shall be guilty of a high misdemeanor, and be subject to indictment + trial in any court of the United States having competent jurisdiction and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not less than one year nor more than five years and a fine of not less than one thousand dollars nor more than five thousand dollars.

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