Which amendment officially ended slavery in the United States?

Which amendment officially ended slavery in the United States?

• A. 14th Amendment
• B. 13th Amendment
• C. 15th Amendment
• D. 12th Amendment

Answer: (B)

The nationwide abolition of slavery is achieved by the amendment ratified in 1865 that declares neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist in the United States, except as punishment for a crime. This provides the constitutional basis for ending slavery everywhere, beyond individual proclamations, and it includes a clause giving Congress the power to enforce it through legislation. Earlier actions like the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in certain areas during the Civil War but wasn’t a universal constitutional guarantee. The other amendments address different issues: one grants citizenship and equal protection, another protects voting rights regardless of race, and another deals with the mechanics of the Electoral College. They do not abolish slavery itself.

The nationwide abolition of slavery is achieved by the amendment ratified in 1865 that declares neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist in the United States, except as punishment for a crime. This provides the constitutional basis for ending slavery everywhere, beyond individual proclamations, and it includes a clause giving Congress the power to enforce it through legislation.

Earlier actions like the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in certain areas during the Civil War but wasn’t a universal constitutional guarantee. The other amendments address different issues: one grants citizenship and equal protection, another protects voting rights regardless of race, and another deals with the mechanics of the Electoral College. They do not abolish slavery itself.