---
title: "Thirteenth Amendment Meaning | Model Diplomat"
description: "The Thirteenth Amendment abolishes slavery in the US and varies by polity; crucial for civil services and constitutional law studies."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/thirteenth-amendment"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Thirteenth Amendment is a constitutional amendment, distinct in each polity, most famously the 1865 US provision abolishing slavery and the 1987 Sri Lankan devolution measure creating provincial councils.
- What did the US Thirteenth Amendment achieve and when was it ratified?
- What is the significance of Sri Lanka's Thirteenth Amendment (1987)?
- How did Pakistan's Thirteenth Amendment of 1997 alter executive power?
- Why is Bangladesh's Thirteenth Amendment important for the BCS exam?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In 1865 the United States ratified the Thirteenth Amendment, abolishing slavery; in 1997 Pakistan's National Assembly under Nawaz Sharif passed its own Thirteenth Amendment stripping the President of dissolution power under Article 58(2)(b).

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