Which constitutional amendment ended slavery in the United States?

Which constitutional amendment ended slavery in the United States?

• A. 13th Amendment
• B. 14th Amendment
• C. 15th Amendment
• D. 16th Amendment

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that slavery was abolished through a constitutional change, not just a wartime order. The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, declares that slavery and involuntary servitude shall be outlawed in the United States and its territories, except as punishment for a crime after a lawful conviction. This makes abolition permanent across the entire country, unlike earlier actions that were limited in scope or temporary. By contrast, the other amendments address different protections or powers—one focuses on citizenship and equal protection, another on voting rights regardless of race, and another on income tax—so they do not accomplish ending slavery. So the amendment that ended slavery is the one that explicitly bans it nationwide.