When did slavery end in America?

Question

history homework! help

Answer 1

First, a little clarification about the Emancipation Proclamation.

It's true that the Proclamation (issued January 1, 1863) did not free ALL the slaves. In fact, under the Constitution Lincoln did not have the power to do so. But with this proclamation he used what powers he DID have, namely, his "war powers" against states still in rebellion... to assure that any slaves who escaped from rebel territory would NOT be returned, and that, as soon as Union could take control of an area slaves would be freed. Thus, from 1863-1865, as Union armies advanced, the proclamation resulted in the freeing of most slaves in the Confederate states.

The proclamation ALSO helped convince border states to end slavery on their own (as Lincoln had long urged them to do voluntarily), and helped with gaining passage of the 13th amendment.

So. . . slavery was OFFICIALLY abolished throughout the United States, when the 13th amendment to the Constitution was ratified by the states

Year 1865... or more precisely:

a) Congress passes the amendment -January 31, 1865
[Lincoln signs it, although this is not required with Constitutional amendments]

b) amendment receives the required approval of legsislatures of 3/4 of the states -December 6, 1865

c) Secretary of State officially s the amendment's ratification: December 18, 1865

Summary of dates:
http://www.nps.gov/malu/documents/amend13.htm

more of the story of the 13th amendment -
http://www.mrlincolnandfreedom.org/inside.asp?ID=56&subjectID=3
Check out the WHOLE site for interesting articles on Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation, etc.

-------------------------

BUT some see a problem with the 1865 date for the ending of slavery.

Many have argued that this date is not accurate, because the South managed by various legal means to keep many blacks in a state that, except for the name, was slavery. Chief among these were the system of "peonage" (debt-slavery) and the "convict lease system", both of which persisted until the early 20th century.

Under the convict lease system, blacks might be arrested for petty (or even trumped up) charges, given very long sentences, then brutally worked by the state (think of the famous/infamous chain gangs) or leased out to farms or businesses. The system was frequently criticized, but only began to be dismantled during "the Progressive era". The last state to end this practice (also the first to use it, beginning in 1846) was Alabama. The legislature mandated that it end on June 30, 1928.

Hence, according to some reckonings, the date at which slavery was finally legally abolished was:
July 1, 1928.

http://www.archives.state.al.us/thisweek/chrono.html
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=214
(see Frederick Douglass's criticism of the system:
http://www.historyisaweapon.org/defcon1/fredouconlea.html)

How Southern states circumvented the 13th amendment (allowed by the federal courts):
http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/lawreviews/meta-elements/journals/bclawr/45_2/02_TXT.htm

Answer 2

Slavery ended in America when the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified in 1865. A common misconception is that it ended with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, however, this only freed some of the slaves.

Answer 3

Slavery ended with the Emancipation Proclamation back in 186-something... but that was only in the states that were with the Union during the Civil War.

Answer 4

At the end of the Civil War. That would be 1865.

Answer 5

1982

Answer 6

slaves stopped being sold as property in 1865, however slaves were still "owned". Freed slaves still lived on plantations and worked for slave owners because they had no where else to go and no other job skills besides those needed to work for slave owners. So there isn't an exact date or year that slavery ended.

Answer 7

after the civil war

Answer 8

Evidently you can not hear my screams.