Which amendment abolishes slavery?

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

Answer: (B)

Abolishing slavery is achieved by an amendment that bans slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States and its territories, with the typical proviso that punishment for a crime can still involve forced labor after conviction. This amendment was added after the Civil War to end the institution of slavery entirely.

Think of it as the constitutional guarantee that slavery cannot legally exist in any form under the law, rather than simply changing who can participate in elections or who can vote. The other amendments shown in the choices focus on how the government operates or on expanding or clarifying rights (such as presidential election processes, citizenship and due process, and voting rights regardless of race), but they do not abolish slavery itself. The one that takes slavery away from the statute books is the amendment that outlaws it outright.