The Thirteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution, prohibiting slavery or involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, was proposed to the legislatures of the thirty-six States on February 1, 1865, a little over two months before the surrender of Lee at Appomattox, and was declared to have been ratified by twenty-seven States, the requisite three-fourths, by December 18, 1865. The latter date marked the Negro’s final freedom from physical bondage. His body could no longer be owned as chattel property. But there is a vast difference between being able to say “No man owns my body,” and “I have the same rights, privileges, and immunities as other free men.” This difference the Thirty-ninth Congress—that of 1865–1866—fully realized, and grappled with. The first ten Amendments were passed soon after the adoption of the Constitution to satisfy the demands of those who were jealous of the power of the Federal government. These, in brief, guaranteed to the citizens of the United States (1) freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and of petition for redress of grievances; (2) the right to keep and bear arms; (3) the right not to have soldiers quartered in one’s house in time of peace without one’s consent; (4) freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures; (5) the right not to be denied life, liberty, or property without due process of law; (6) the right to trial by jury; (7) the right of the accused to be confronted by his accuser; (8) the right not to have one’s property taken for public use without compensation; and (9) the right not to be subjected to cruel or unusual punishment, and not to have excessive bail required. These were limitations upon the power of Congress, the States themselves having guaranteed such rights to their own citizens by their bill of rights. After the War, the Federal government was fearful that the States, particularly those lately in rebellion, would not grant these rights or privileges to the freedmen, who, according to the Dred Scott decision, were not citizens. All the power that Congress had over the States, it seems, was to enforce the Thirteenth Amendment by appropriation legislation. But it proceeded to make the most of the power it had, biding its time when another amendment to the Constitution would give it more power over the States. FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION