when did slavery end?

The end of slavery in the United States was a process that involved several key dates and events, rather than a single day. Here are the significant milestones:

Emancipation Proclamation

On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all persons held as slaves in the states still in rebellion against the Union were free. However, this proclamation did not apply to the border states that remained loyal to the Union, and it did not immediately free all enslaved people, especially those in areas still under Confederate control345.

End of the Civil War and Juneteenth

The Civil War ended in April 1865, but the news of freedom did not reach all enslaved people immediately. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced General Order No. 3, declaring that all slaves in Texas were free. This day is celebrated as Juneteenth. However, even after this announcement, some enslavers continued to hold people in bondage until the Union Army could enforce the order145.

Ratification of the 13th Amendment

The most definitive date for the end of slavery as a legal institution is December 6, 1865, when the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. This amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime, throughout the entire United States145.

Slavery in Indian Territory

Slavery persisted in Indian Territory until 1866, when the U.S. government negotiated new treaties with the "Five Civilized Tribes" (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole), which led to the abolition of slavery in these territories. The Creek Tribe's agreement on June 14, 1866, marked the final legal end of slavery in the continental United States24.