History of North America

What ended slavery in the US?

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, was a major step toward ending slavery in the United States. The proclamation declared that all slaves in the Confederate states were free, but it did not immediately free all slaves in the US since it only applied to areas under Confederate control. It did, however, lay the groundwork for the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which was ratified in 1865 and officially abolished slavery throughout the country.