The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865. It abolished slavery in the United States. The amendment reads: "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". This means that slavery and involuntary servitude are illegal in the United States, except as a punishment for a crime. The amendment also gives Congress the power to enforce this article by passing appropriate legislation.