Which amendment abolished slavery in the United States?

The Thirteenth Amendment is the correct answer because it explicitly abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States, except as punishment for a crime. Ratified in 1865, this amendment marked a significant turning point in American history by ensuring that no individual could be legally held in slavery or forced labor. It was a crucial step in the broader movement for civil rights and equality in the post-Civil War era, laying the groundwork for subsequent amendments and civil rights legislation aimed at ensuring freedom and equal protection under the law for all citizens.

In contrast, the Fourteenth Amendment focused on citizenship rights and equal protection under the law for all persons born or naturalized in the United States, while the Fifteenth Amendment granted African American men the right to vote. The Nineteenth Amendment, meanwhile, granted women the right to vote. Each of these amendments plays an important role in American civil rights, but none pertains directly to the abolition of slavery.