Who were slaves in the South freed by?

Slaves in the South were primarily freed by the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified on December 6, 1865. It states: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." This amendment abolished slavery and freed all slaves in the United States, including those in the South.