The Amendment says:
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Three quartters of the state legislatures (27) passed it on this date in 1865 and it became effective immediately.
Unfortunately, the exception clause, which exempted from abolition the use of involutary servitude "as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted". That left open the continued use of chain gangs for incarcerated citizens and for states and private prison companies to make money by leasing out incarcerated citizens as unpaid laborers.
