THE END OF SLAVERY IN SIGHT: On this day in 1865, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Constitution’s Thirteenth Amendment, prohibiting slavery and involuntary servitude. Since the Senate had already approved the measure, the proposed Amendment was then placed before the state legislatures for ratification.  That came quickly. Within a week, 11 states had ratified, led by Lincoln’s Illinois. By December, the requisite ¾ of states had approved the measure.

Ratification beyond the ¾ of states was purely symbolic. But since the Thirteenth Amendment was more significant than most, some states ratified even though their assent was no longer needed. Among the stragglers were Delaware (1905) and Kentucky (1976), both of which had initially rejected it. The most recent ratification came from Mississippi in 1995. Better late than never.