 Maryland soldiers who were fighting for the Confederacy, and therefore could not vote, would likely have overwhelmingly opposed it.The new constitution came into effect on November 1, 1864 and, while it emancipated the state's slaves, this did not mean equality for them, in part because the franchise continued to be restricted to white males.However, the abolition of slavery in Maryland did precede the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which outlawed slavery throughout the United States, and did not come into effect until December 6, 1865.