In the United States, the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in December 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime. The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in July 1868, granted citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves, and guaranteed equal protection under the law. The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in February 1870, prohibited the denial of voting rights based on race or previous condition of servitude. These amendments marked the beginning of the civil rights movement in the United States, and while they did not immediately end racial discrimination and inequality, they laid the foundation for future progress and the fight for equal rights for all.