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13th amendment
When Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, only slaves who lived in states that were part of the Confederacy were granted their freedom. Therefore, even the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery. Lincoln and other leaders realized that a constitutional amendment was needed to completely abolish slavery. This needed amendment, the 13th amendment, was then passed by the Senate which stated that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude (except as a punishment for a crime) shall exist within the United States". However, the amendment did not initially pass in The House of Representatives even though the southern states had not yet been restored into the Union. The amendment was finally passed on January 31, 1865 by the House and was ratified by the states on December 6, 1865. The 13th amendment, along with the 14th and 15th amendments, were very instrumental in giving freed slaves their civil rights during the Reconstruction. Because the 13th amendment finally abolished slavery, it was most probably the singular most important event in the Reconstruction time period for promoting equal rights for African Americans and for helping to integrate African Americans into the work force and society.