On This Day in History

On This Day: Kentucky Rejected the 13th Amendment

Clay Cane
February 24, 2026

In this photo taken Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011, in Chicago, is the signature of president Abraham Lincoln on a rare, restored copy of the 13th Amendment that ended slavery. The 147-year-old document, written on vellum “paper” an animal skin, was signed by President Lincoln and lawmakers who voted for it, was carefully treated to flatten and strengthen the remaining ink at the Graphic Conservation Co. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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(AURN News) — On this day in 1865, the Kentucky General Assembly refused to ratify the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery except as punishment for a crime.

Though Kentucky remained in the Union during the Civil War, its lawmakers resisted President Abraham Lincoln’s policies and feared federal interference with slavery. In 1862, Lincoln proposed gradual emancipation with compensation for enslavers in border states, but Kentucky’s leaders rejected his plan.

The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 did not apply to Kentucky because it applied only to states in rebellion against the Union, allowing slavery there to continue.

On Feb. 24, 1865, Kentucky legislators formally voted against the amendment. In the years that followed, many prominent state leaders harshly criticized Lincoln and aligned politically with former Confederates.

Kentucky did not officially ratify the 13th Amendment until 1976.

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Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane