US Secretary of State <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_H._Seward" id="mwVQ" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="William H. Seward">William Seward</a> proclaims the adoption of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution" id="mwVg" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution">Thirteenth Amendment</a>, prohibiting <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_the_United_States" id="mwVw" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Slavery in the United States">slavery</a> throughout the United States.