full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Karlos Hill and Soraya Field Fiorio: When did slavery actually end in the United States?

Unscramble the Blue Letters


When the cdaronfeecy refused to surrender, Union soldiers bgean announcing emancipation. But many Southern areas remained under Confederate control, making it impossible to actually implement abolition throughout the South.

The war raged on for two more years, and on January 31st, 1865, Congress passed the 13th Amendment. It promised to end slavery throughout the US— except as punishment for a crime. But to go into ecffet, 27 steats would have to ratify it first.

Meanwhile, the Civil War virtually ended with the surrender of coetafrende genarel Robert E. Lee on April 9th, 1865. But although slavery was technically illegal in all Southern states, it still persisted in the last bsnoitas of the Confederacy. There, erenvslas like Neyland continued to evade abolition until forced. This was also the case when Union General Gordon Granger maerhcd his troops into Galveston, Texas, on June 19th and announced that all enslaved people there were oflciafily free— and had been for more than two years.

Open Cloze


When the ___________ refused to surrender, Union soldiers _____ announcing emancipation. But many Southern areas remained under Confederate control, making it impossible to actually implement abolition throughout the South.

The war raged on for two more years, and on January 31st, 1865, Congress passed the 13th Amendment. It promised to end slavery throughout the US— except as punishment for a crime. But to go into ______, 27 ______ would have to ratify it first.

Meanwhile, the Civil War virtually ended with the surrender of ___________ _______ Robert E. Lee on April 9th, 1865. But although slavery was technically illegal in all Southern states, it still persisted in the last ________ of the Confederacy. There, _________ like Neyland continued to evade abolition until forced. This was also the case when Union General Gordon Granger _______ his troops into Galveston, Texas, on June 19th and announced that all enslaved people there were __________ free— and had been for more than two years.

Solution


  1. confederacy
  2. began
  3. officially
  4. states
  5. enslavers
  6. bastions
  7. effect
  8. marched
  9. general
  10. confederate

Original Text


When the Confederacy refused to surrender, Union soldiers began announcing emancipation. But many Southern areas remained under Confederate control, making it impossible to actually implement abolition throughout the South.

The war raged on for two more years, and on January 31st, 1865, Congress passed the 13th Amendment. It promised to end slavery throughout the US— except as punishment for a crime. But to go into effect, 27 states would have to ratify it first.

Meanwhile, the Civil War virtually ended with the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on April 9th, 1865. But although slavery was technically illegal in all Southern states, it still persisted in the last bastions of the Confederacy. There, enslavers like Neyland continued to evade abolition until forced. This was also the case when Union General Gordon Granger marched his troops into Galveston, Texas, on June 19th and announced that all enslaved people there were officially free— and had been for more than two years.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
enslaved people 3
chattel slavery 3
abolished slavery 2
million people 2
civil war 2
border states 2


Important Words


  1. abolition
  2. amendment
  3. announced
  4. announcing
  5. april
  6. areas
  7. bastions
  8. began
  9. case
  10. civil
  11. confederacy
  12. confederate
  13. congress
  14. continued
  15. control
  16. crime
  17. effect
  18. emancipation
  19. ended
  20. enslaved
  21. enslavers
  22. evade
  23. forced
  24. galveston
  25. general
  26. gordon
  27. granger
  28. illegal
  29. implement
  30. impossible
  31. january
  32. june
  33. lee
  34. making
  35. marched
  36. neyland
  37. officially
  38. passed
  39. people
  40. persisted
  41. promised
  42. punishment
  43. raged
  44. ratify
  45. refused
  46. remained
  47. robert
  48. slavery
  49. soldiers
  50. south
  51. southern
  52. states
  53. surrender
  54. technically
  55. texas
  56. troops
  57. union
  58. virtually
  59. war
  60. years