Thirteenth Amendment and the “Slaughter-House”
by Keren Wang This essay was originally featured on the Penn State Civic & Community Engagement (CIVCOM) website, responding to this year's Constitution Day theme: "The U.S. Constitution & 'The Dangerous Thirteenth Amendment'." Please visit and share with your students this link http://civcm.psu.edu/constitution-day/, where you'll also find essays by Lauren Camacci, Jeremy Cox, Michele Kennerly, Veena Raman, John Rountree, Mary Stuckey, and Kirt Wilson. Last year's resources on "The Spaces Between the First and Second Amendments" can still be found here: http://civcm.psu.edu/constitution-day/past-constitution-days/2016-2/ The Constitution of the United States – Article XIII (Amendment 13 – Slavery and Involuntary Servitude) 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. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. ...