ratification

 Listen Now! #OTD, January 31, 1865, Americans make amends as Congress passes the Thirteenth Amendment, consistently applying the words of the Declaration of Independence, that “all men are created equal.”  I was sharing with my daughter the story of the Thirteenth Amendment since my home state played a significant role in its passage. Illinois instructed its congressional delegation to vote for the Thirteenth Amendment, and President Abraham Lincoln signed it on February 1st. Then the amendment went to the States for ratification. The amendment reads, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party [...]