The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime where the person has been duly convicted. It was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, ratified on December 6, 1865, and made slavery illegal everywhere in the United States and its jurisdictions. Additionally, it gave Congress the power to enforce this ban through appropriate legislation. This amendment was a critical constitutional step to end slavery after the Civil War and is one of the Reconstruction Amendments that expanded civil rights in America.