Which amendment is responsible for abolishing slavery in the United States?

• A. The Nineteenth Amendment
• B. The Fifth Amendment
• C. The Thirteenth Amendment
• D. The Eighteenth Amendment

Answer: (C)

The Thirteenth Amendment is the correct choice because it explicitly states that slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime, are prohibited in the United States. Ratified in December 1865, this amendment marked a pivotal moment in American history by formally ending the institution of slavery that had been deeply entrenched in the country since its founding.

The Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, and the Eighteenth Amendment, which established Prohibition, address different issues related to civil rights and social policy. The Fifth Amendment primarily deals with legal rights in criminal cases, including protection against self-incrimination and double jeopardy, and does not pertain to the issue of slavery. Therefore, the Thirteenth Amendment stands out as the definitive constitutional change that abolished slavery in the United States.