Which constitutional amendment abolished slavery in 1865?

• A. The Thirteenth Amendment
• B. The Fifteenth Amendment
• C. The Fourteenth Amendment
• D. The Eighteenth Amendment

Answer: (A)

A nationwide abolition of slavery was achieved through a constitutional amendment ratified in 1865. It states that slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall not exist within the United States or any place under its jurisdiction. This makes slavery illegal across the country and gives Congress power to enforce the ban. The other amendments address different issues—one defines citizenship and protects due process and equal protection, another prohibits denying the right to vote based on race, and the last prohibits the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. None of those abolishes slavery itself. The 1865 date reflects the Civil War’s end and the move to enshrine emancipation in the Constitution.