The significant milestone reached when the 13th Amendment was ratified in the United States was the formal abolition of slavery. Ratified in 1865, this amendment declared that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime, shall exist within the U.S. or its territories. This pivotal legal change marked the end of centuries of enforced labor and oppression for African Americans, fundamentally altering American society. It represented a crucial victory for the abolitionist movement and laid the groundwork for future civil rights advancements.