Gracie Medeiros

Abstract:

The 13th Amendment was written to allow for the freedom of slaves in response to the Civil War. However, a legal loophole was written into the U.S. Constitution which has been exploited by political leaders throughout history. This discrimination has long-term effects for the imprisoned and the country causing an extreme increase in incarceration rates. These profound effects are the result of language choice, and the usage of that language is what changed the course of the meaning of freedom.