The abolition of slavery in the United States was enacted in which Reconstruction amendment?

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

Answer: (A)

The key idea is identifying which Reconstruction amendment specifically bans slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment, ratified in 1865, declares that slavery and involuntary servitude shall be illegal in the United States, except as punishment for a crime where the person has been duly convicted. This constitutional prohibition is what ended slavery nationwide, beyond wartime measures or state laws. By contrast, the Fourteenth Amendment addresses citizenship and equal protection under the law, and the Fifteenth Amendment protects voting rights regardless of race; the Twelfth Amendment deals with presidential electors. So the abolition of slavery is enacted by the Thirteenth Amendment.