On December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, abolishing slavery in the United States. However, the amendment made an exception for forced labor “as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” Appalled by the widespread abuse and exploitation of prisoners, the National Association of Colored Women passed a resolution condemning the practice of the convict leasing system at their 1896 convention.
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National Association of Colored Women (U.S.). A history of the club movement among the colored women of the United States of America. [United States : s.n.], 1902.