Which amendment abolished slavery?

The Thirteenth Amendment is significant because it formally abolished slavery in the United States. Ratified in December 1865, this amendment states that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." This was a monumental step forward in American history, as it legally ended the institution of slavery, which had persisted since the colonial era.

In the context of the other amendments mentioned, the First Amendment primarily guarantees individual freedoms such as speech, religion, and assembly. The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, addresses citizenship rights and equal protection under the law, which was crucial in protecting the rights of former slaves but does not specifically abolish slavery. The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, focuses on voting rights, prohibiting the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude, but it also does not directly address the legal status of slavery. Thus, the Thirteenth Amendment is the correct choice as it is explicitly dedicated to the abolition of slavery.