President Lincoln believed in the Thirteenth Amendment so strongly that he signed 14 copies of it, but died before he could see it passed on December 18, 1965. Explore the text that forever abolished slavery in America with a document that prompts learners to analyze primary sources and discuss what they have read.

Concepts

constitutional amendments, the thirteenth amendment, slavery, abraham lincoln, the united states civil war

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Print and laminate the document to display in a social studies classroom
• Encourage groups to come up with their own questions and discussion points about the document
• Use in a unit that focuses primary source analysis

Classroom Considerations

• The original document is difficult to read; pair with the typed text of the Thirteenth Amendment
• Consider augmenting the discussion questions with deeper and more thoughtful questions

Pros

• Document features signatures of notable historical figures
• Connects well to a study on Constitutional Amendments

Cons

• None

Common Core

RH.9-10.1 RH.11-12.1