What Happened On January 31st?

On the last day in January in 1865, a section in America’s dark history came to an end with an additional amendment to The Constitution. Inside the marbled halls of Congress in Washington D.C., tension was building up. The fate of a nation, bound by the chains of slavery, hung in the balance.

Still weary from the Civil War, 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, watched from the White House as politicians and civil rights activists went at each other. His Emancipation Proclamation, casted a hope for freedom over “traditional” Confederate lands. But to truly extinguish the darkness, a constitutional suture was needed to free the nation completely.

Inside the House Chamber, debate raged like a storm. Abolitionists, pled and argued for the 13th Amendment – hoping to free all people from slavery. Opponents, clinging to a dying ideology, upheld their disgusting logic of states’ rights and how the economy would be ruined.

After hours and hours of arguing and shouting, finally, it was time to vote. One by one, representatives rose, their voices carrying the weight of generations and struggle. Then, Senate passed the 13th Amendment by a vote of 38 to 6 in favor of passing the act!

Jubilation erupted immediately, tears streamed down faces, and prayers were answered at last. In the streets, news spread rapidly, and strangers, black and white, celebrated the end of a prolonged suppression.

But, freedom and racism was not a guarantee yet. The 13th Amendment would be forged in the crucible of Reconstruction, and its promise tested in the fires of Jim Crow and systemic inequities that persist to this day.

Yet, on that January day, the 13th Amendment stands as a testament to the unyielding human spirit. We are reminded that even in the darkest hours, the light of progress can pierce through.

What Did You Learn?

Although an amendment to prevent people from being enslaved should never be a force of law to begin with, America needs to see this as a ray of hope for the future.

Racism is an ongoing problem today, and we should use this day in history to reflect on our behavior and what we can still do for our society.

Is there anything new that you learned? Questions and thoughts are encouraged below!