On January 31st of 1865, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 13th amendment to the constitution, which states that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude...shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Though President Lincoln had already issued the Emancipation Proclamation late in 1862, it was inconsistently enforced since it only addressed the states that had seceded and were still in rebellion of the Union. The states that had already surrendered to the union were not bound to abide by the Emacipation Proclamation. Neither were those that had not ever seceded, especially border states.
