KEY TERMS Key Terms and People to Know for the Regents Exam
Emancipation Proclamation
A major purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which stated that all slaves in the Confederate states (the South) were free, was to give the North a moral cause to fight for to help them win the Civil War.
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment (1865) abolished slavery. The amendment states that “involuntary servitude” cannot be used, except as a punishment for a crime. During Reconstruction, former slaves were often charged with crimes and forced to work.