Rhode Island General Assembly Rescinds Pro-Slavery Amendment

PROVIDENCE, RI — The General Assembly unanimously rescinded its ratification of a pro-slavery constitutional amendment from 1861.

The bill was sponsored by state Rep. Joseph J. Solomon Jr., D-Warwick, and state Sen. Robert Britto, D-East Providence and Pawtucket, and was signed by Gov. Dan McKee.

"Just before the start of the Civil War, Congress made a last-ditch effort to appease the southern states by passing a constitutional amendment that, if ratified, would have constitutionally protected slavery for all time," according to a media release from the general assembly.

"The Corwin Amendment, named after Thomas Corwin, the Ohio congressman who sponsored it, just squeaked out the two-thirds majority it needed in Congress before being sent out to the state legislatures for ratification," the release said.

If the amendment was approved by three quarters of the states, it would have become part of the U.S. Constitution, but the southern states all seceded and the amendment died, according to the release.

"But while it never gained any traction, five states, Kentucky, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio and Rhode Island, gave the amendment their seal of approval," the release said.

“The fact that Rhode Island remains a signatory on this awful amendment is an embarrassing blot on this state and this General Assembly, especially in light of the fact that a mere four years later, this same legislature would overwhelmingly ratify the 13th Amendment, banning slavery for good,” Solomon said in the release.

“I’m proud that the General Assembly has joined me to unanimously right this historic wrong and bring some justice that’s 165 years overdue,” Solomon said.

"It’s incredible and unconscionable that the same state that sent 25,000 men off to fight for the Union in the Civil War — 2,000 of whom would sacrifice their lives — could also support a constitutional amendment that would have kept four million people in chains,” Britto said in the release.

“This amendment was nothing more than an attempt at appeasement of the southern states to avoid a war," Britto said. :It was embarrassing, cowardly and most importantly, not representative of Rhode Island.”

See also:

• Central Falls Man Sentenced To 5 Years In Federal Prison For Fentanyl Distribution
• DOJ Sues Rhode Island And Massachusetts Over Undocumented Students Receiving In-State Tuition
• Rhode Island Women Hit It Big With Lottery Wins
• Real Reason Taylor Swift Won't Get Married In Rhode Island: Reports
• Rare, Tick-Borne Virus Confirmed In Rhode Island