While there were thousands of free Blacks in the U.S., most were enslaved without the right to purchase property, enter into contracts, or exercise many other freedoms enjoyed by Whites. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the country – with some caveats – and paved the way for Blacks to achieve greater freedoms. This Constitutional Amendment declared that “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….”

To learn more about the 13th Amendment, click here.