Based on the timeline, when was slavery outlawed in the entire United States?A January 1, 1863B December 6, 1865C July 28, 1868D February 3, 1870

To determine when slavery was outlawed in the entire United States, we need to refer to the relevant constitutional amendment.

Answer

The correct answer is B: December 6, 1865. This date marks the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. Although President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, which freed slaves in Confederate states, it didn’t apply to slaves in the border states or areas under Union control. The 13th Amendment definitively abolished slavery throughout the entire country.

• January 1, 1863: Emancipation Proclamation effective, but limited in scope.
• December 6, 1865: 13th Amendment ratified, abolishing slavery nationwide.
• July 28, 1868: 14th Amendment guaranteeing citizenship and equal protection under the law, but not directly related to slavery.
• February 3, 1870: 15th Amendment granting African American men the right to vote.

Thus, the nationwide outlawing of slavery was achieved with the ratification of the 13th Amendment.