Mexico abolished slavery long before the United States, cementing its official legal prohibition decades ahead of its northern neighbor. Following its independence from Spain, Mexico issued initial decrees against the institution in 1829 under President Vicente Guerrero, with subsequent comprehensive constitutional frameworks firmly outlawing human bondage. In contrast, the United States did not legally abolish chattel slavery nationwide until the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in December 1865, following the conclusion of the American Civil War.