Table of Contents
Who was against the 13th amendment?
In April 1864, the Senate, responding in part to an active abolitionist petition campaign, passed the Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery in the United States. Opposition from Democrats in the House of Representatives prevented the amendment from receiving the required two-thirds majority, and the bill failed.
What is the loophole in the 13th amendment as described in the film?
The film contends that, although the 13th amendment outlawed slavery over 150 years ago, it was essentially allowed to continue via the side door of mass incarceration.
What does the 13th amendment say simple terms?
The 13th Amendment forever abolished slavery as an institution in all U.S. states and territories. In addition to banning slavery, the amendment outlawed the practice of involuntary servitude and peonage. Involuntary servitude or peonage occurs when a person is coerced to work in order to pay off debts.
What does an exemption clause do?
An exclusion clause (or exemption clause) is a provision in a contract included by a party to try and exclude or limit their liability for conduct that would otherwise breach the contract or constitute a tort.
Is there an exception to slavery in the 13th Amendment?
Armstrong argues that the 13th Amendment makes an exception for “involuntary servitude,” not “slavery,” and that there are important historical and legal distinctions between the two. However, she says no court has formally dealt with this distinction, and many courts have used to two terms interchangeably.
What was the loophole in the 13th Amendment?
The amendment, which officially abolished slavery in the United States in 1865, includes a loophole regarding involuntary servitude. A statue of President Lincoln in the middle of Lincoln Park in Washington, D.C. The statue depicts Lincoln in his role of the “Great Emancipator” freeing a male slave.
Why is the exception clause in the 13th Amendment important?
Scholars, activists and prisoners have linked that exception clause to the rise of a prison system that incarcerates Black people at more than five times the rate of white people, and profits off of their unpaid or underpaid labor.
When did slavery end in the United States?
The amendment, which officially abolished slavery in the United States in 1865, includes a loophole regarding involuntary servitude. A statue of President Lincoln in the middle of Lincoln Park in Washington, D.C.