Thread by @TheCivilWarDoc1

#OTD in 1865 the Thirteenth Amendment passed the House of Representatives, sending it to the states for ratification. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States “…except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted."

The amendment ended race-based chattel slavery in America, but did not rid the nation of forced labor, which exists through America’s prison system today. #13thAmendment #Constitution #slavery #HistoryMatters #CivilWar #USCivilWar #AmericanCivilWar #PoliticalHistory #knowhistory

Congress abolished slavery in Washington D.C. in 1862. The Emancipation Proclamation outlawed slavery in rebelling states Jan. 1, 1863 and former rebel states were forced to ban slavery in new state constitutions. Republicans in Congress still wanted a Constitutional Amendment.

The "criminality" loophole allowed slavery to evolve into other forms of forced labor aimed at preserving the racial hierarchy. The early years of Reconstruction featured sinister tools such as vagrancy laws, Black Codes, forced apprenticeships and convict leasing to name a few.

The criminal justice system was utilized to perpetuate the use of forced labor. This practice became increasingly common toward the end of the 19th century when white supremacist "Redeemers" came to power throughout the South. #Reconstruction #WhiteSupremacy

According to the Equal Justice Initiative, The U.S. accounts for 5% of the world’s population but 25% of its prison population, which is disproportionately Black. This is historically rooted in slavery. #MassIncarceration #racism #CriminalJustice #racialjustice #ThisDayInHistory

For example, 80% of those imprisoned at the infamous prison labor camp “Angola” in Louisiana are Black. The prison is known as Angola because it sits on land that was a plantation populated by enslaved Africans from Angola and their descendants. The historical roots run deep.

If you would like to explore this topic in more detail visit the Equal Justice Initiative's website: eji.org
@eji_org
#OnThisDay #OnThisDate #TodayInHistory #history #AmericanHistory #USHistory #AfricanAmericanHistory #BlackHistory #BlackHistoryISAmericanHistory

You can access primary sources related to the Thirteenth Amendment through the Library of Congress here: guides.loc.gov/13th-amendment

#PrimarySource #HistoryTeacher #SourceMaterial #Documents #Archives #LibraryofCongress
#TwitterHistory #TwitterHistorians #Primary #Sources