Discover the Secrets: Top 15 Surprising and Intriguing Fun Facts about the 13th Amendment

1. Lincoln's Campaign Strategy

Who knew Honest Abe had a side hustle as the ultimate campaign strategist?: Lincoln expertly maneuvered the 13th Amendment's inclusion into the Republican Party platform for the 1864 elections, ensuring that the bill abolishing slavery made its way through Congress by January 1865 and was officially ratified on December 6, 1865, putting an end to the nation's slavery chapter.
Source => archives.gov

2. Emancipation's Epic Party

Did you know President Lincoln, in a rather spectacular move, threw the ultimate "so-long slavery" party? Bet he never imagined it would become a national holiday: The 13th Amendment, a star-studded freedom fête that even had Frederick Douglass giving a riveting speech on April 14, 1876, at the Lincoln Memorial, coinciding with the grand unveiling of the Emancipation Memorial. In one swingin' Constitution bash, America finally put a legal guarantee of freedom for everyone on the guest list!
Source => archives.gov

Did you know Thomas Jefferson had a pet mockingbird that freely roamed his office, serenading him with its melodies? Discover more about this unique bond between a president and his feathery friend!

=> Fun Facts about History

3. Kentucky's Century-Late Ratification

You know what they say, better late than never, but Kentucky took that to heart when it came to abolishing slavery: It wasn't until March 18, 1976, that the Bluegrass State finally ratified the 13th Amendment, over a century after its adoption and sealing the deal as the last state to do so.
Source => civildiscourse-historyblog.com

4. "You're Terminated!" 13th Amendment

In the spirit of "Hasta la vista, baby," America's 13th Amendment terminated its turbulent affair with slavery with: "You're terminated!" Ratified on December 6, 1865, the amendment abolished slavery in the United States, except as punishment for a crime, but left citizenship and voting rights for African-Americans to be addressed by the 14th and 15th Amendments.
Source => jackmillercenter.org

5. Lincoln the Force for Change

Step aside, Jedi Master: Lincoln was the original force for change! Using his presidential powers and determination, he turned the 13th Amendment from a far-off galaxy dream to a proud part of the Constitution: Despite facing initial rejection from the House of Representatives, Lincoln successfully pushed for the passage of the 13th Amendment, making it a key part of the Republican Party platform in 1864. With a final vote count of 119-56 in January 1865 and ratification by three-fourths of the states on December 6 that year, the amendment abolished slavery in the United States for good.
Source => archives.gov

6. The Prison Labor Loophole

Talk about chain-gang exceptions: While the 13th Amendment effectively vanquished slavery and involuntary servitude in the U.S., it left a cheeky footnote that allowed prison labor to thrive. This tricky clause has been criticized for perpetuating racial inequality and slave-like conditions, inspiring reformers to argue for fair wages and the abolishment of forced prison labor.
Source => academy4sc.org

7. Abe's Fight for the 13th Amendment

Knocking on wood wasn't enough for Honest Abe, so he decided to enshrine freedom in something just as sturdy – the U.S. Constitution: Abraham Lincoln, a fierce advocate for the 13th Amendment, pushed for its inclusion in the Republican Party platform during the 1864 Presidential election and successfully rallied the House to pass it – ultimately resulting in its approval by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratification by December 6, 1865, forever banishing slavery and setting the stage for expanded civil rights in America.
Source => archives.gov

8. Flipping the Script on Involuntary Servitude

In a remarkable twist of historical irony, the 13th Amendment hitched a ride on the same legal mechanism that once allowed states to count their slaves as 3/5 of a person for tax purposes and representation: the 13th Amendment flipped the script on this American peculiarity and sent slavery packing for good. Sayonara, involuntary servitude: As of December 6, 1865, slavery and involuntary servitude were officially abolished throughout the entirety of the United States, except as punishment for a crime, sealing the deal on the Emancipation Proclamation's initial promise to free enslaved persons in the Confederate states.
Source => docsteach.org

9. 13th Amendment: The Real Hero

Step aside, Captain America: The 13th Amendment is the real hero in the fight against injustice! But seriously, folks: The amendment, ratified on December 6, 1865, wholly abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime, and it remains undefeated in its mission since its adoption.
Source => archives.gov

10. Lincoln's Party-Planning Skills

If you think getting a group of friends to agree on a restaurant is tough, imagine convincing U.S. House Representatives to pass a groundbreaking amendment: The 13th Amendment barely scraped by with a vote of 119-56! President Abraham Lincoln, acting as the ultimate party planner, not only encouraged the passing of this historical amendment, but he even added it to the Republican Party menu for 1864's main course – the Presidential election. Tragically, Lincoln's party invitation got lost in the mail, and he never got to witness the 13th Amendment's successful ratification party several months after his assassination.
Source => archives.gov

11. New Jersey's 13th Amendment Drama

In a twist straight out of a daytime soap opera, even New Jersey couldn't handle the drama of the 13th amendment: The Garden State initially refused to ratify the amendment that abolished slavery in the U.S., but it eventually passed with the approval of eight former Confederate states, setting the stage for the 14th and 15th Amendments, which established equal citizenship for African Americans and voting rights for African American men.
Source => librarycompany.org

12. The Criminal Labor Loophole

Talk about a loophole large enough to drive a plantation through: The 13th Amendment may have abolished slavery, but it permitted forced labor for those convicted of a crime – a sneaky provision that led to false charges and imprisonment of freed African Americans who were then used for virtually free labor, perpetuating racism, violence, and the marginalization of Black lives long after the end of the Civil War.
Source => aa.com.tr

13. The Silver-bomb-raham Commemorative Coin

In a monumental display of numismatic prowess, the United States Mint dropped a "silver-bomb-raham" that'll make any Lincoln-loving collector geek out: The 2009 Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Silver Dollar features designs symbolizing the 16th President's life and legacy, including an image inspired by Daniel Chester French's iconic sculpture inside the Lincoln Memorial, and the reverse showcasing the last 43 words of the Gettysburg Address encased within a laurel wreath, signed by the silver fox of emancipation himself.
Source => usmint.gov

14. The Shocking Value of Antebellum Slaves

"Coming to you in 1850, the deluxe, high-end human model, available for only $400... act fast, quantities are limited!" In the thick of the antebellum period before the 13th Amendment, that $400 slave value would be roughly equivalent to a whopping $114,000 today, based on the labor or income value of their expected services – a staggering sum considering the average person back then had an annual income of about $110.
Source => measuringworth.com

15. The 13th Amendment's Missing Pieces

Like a sandwich struggling to find its other slices of bread, the 13th Amendment was feeling a little incomplete: Ratified on December 6, 1865, it abolished slavery but didn't quite finish the job, leaving citizenship and voting rights for African-Americans to be picked up by the 14th and 15th Amendments years later.
Source => jackmillercenter.org