> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://america-250.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Thirteenth Amendment

> Abolition of Slavery

<Note>
  Passed by Congress January 31, 1865. Ratified December 6, 1865. The 13th Amendment changed a portion of Article IV, Section 2
</Note>

## Section 1

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, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

## Section 2

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

## Interpretations & Debate

Read scholarly interpretations of the Thirteenth Amendment from the [National Constitution Center](https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/amendments/amendment-xiii/interpretations/137), where constitutional scholars across the political spectrum debate its meaning and application.

## Source

Adapted from the [National Constitution Center](https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/amendments/amendment-xiii), which provides the canonical text and scholarly interpretations of the Thirteenth Amendment.