In 1865, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Which constitutional amendment was ratified that year in the United States?

The story behind the answer

The 13th Amendment is correct: it was ratified on December 6, 1865, the same year Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, and it abolished slavery nationwide (except as punishment for a crime). Lincoln championed the amendment after issuing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and although Congress passed it in January 1865, final ratification came months after his death, under President Andrew Johnson.

To keep the amendments straight: 13 frees (ends slavery) in 1865, 14 equalizes (citizenship and equal protection) in 1868, and 15 votes (protects voting rights for Black men) in 1870. The 12th predates the Civil War (1804) and reorganized presidential elections. Think “13 frees” to remember the historic finish to the Civil War year.