What does the 13th Amendment accomplish?

• A. Abolishes slavery and involuntary servitude.
• B. Prohibits discrimination in public accommodations.
• C. Grants citizenship to former slaves.
• D. Guarantees the right to vote.

Answer: (A)

The main idea this question tests is what the 13th Amendment does. It explicitly outlaws slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States and all places under its jurisdiction, with one exception: it permits forced labor as punishment for a crime for which a person has been duly convicted. Ratified in 1865 after the Civil War, this amendment formally ends the legal institution of slavery and sets the stage for subsequent civil rights protections and enforcement.

Discrimination in public accommodations is addressed later by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, not the 13th Amendment. Granting citizenship to former slaves is the role of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees birthright citizenship and equal protection. Guaranteeing the right to vote is the domain of the 15th Amendment, which prohibits denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.