War had been fought over issues of States' rights, including the right to control the institution of slavery. Locate each of the following constitutional provisions, then explain how it could be read to protect, or not to protect, the institution of slavery.S4.1Overview of Public Debt Clause. Amdt14. The Thirteenth Amendment officially abolished slavery. The Fourteenth Amendment offered a significant bundle of citizenship rights. The Thirteenth Amendment officially abolished slavery. Scott, a slave, argued that he was free because his owner had taken him to territory where slavery was banned. As a leader in Congress, Stevens fought to end slavery and promote civil rights and racial equality. The Thirteenth Amendment, adopted in 1865, abolishes slavery or involuntary servitude except in punishment for a crime. As a leader in Congress, Stevens fought to end slavery and promote civil rights and racial equality.