Joint Resolution Proposing a 13th Amendment to the Constitution

Thirty‐sixth

Congress
of
the
United
States

At
the
Second
Session

Begun
and
held
at
the
City
of
Washington

In
the
District
of
Columbia

On
Monday
the
third
day
of
December
one
thousand
eight
hundred
and
sixty.

Joint
Resolution
to
amend
the
Constitution
of
the
United
States

Resolved
by
the
Senate
and
House
of
Representatives
of
the
United
States
of
America
in
Congress
assembled
that

The
following
article
be
proposed
to
the
legislatures
of
the
several
States
as
an
amendment
to
the
Constitution
of
the
United
States,
which,
where
ratified
by
three‐fourths
of
said
legislatures,
shall
be
valid
to
all
intents
and
purposes,
as
part
of
the
said
Constitution,
viz:

Article
XII.

No
amendment
shall
be
made
to
the
Constitution
which
will
authorize
or
give
to
Congress
the
power
to
abolish
or
interfere,
within
any
State,
with
the
domestic
institutions
thereof,
including
that
of
persons
held
to
labor
or
service
by
the
laws
of
said
State.

Approved
March
2,
1861 

James
Buchanan
(signature)

Wm.
Pennington
(signature)

Speaker
of
the
House
of
Representatives 

John
C.
Breckenridge
(signature) 

Vice
President
of
the
United
States, &
President
of
the
Senate