Fifteenth Amendment

On this day, February 3, in 1870 the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. The Fifteenth Amendment was an extremely important step in the struggle for civil rights in America. The amendment stated that "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."1


Unfortunately, the promise that the amendment stated would not be realized for nearly a century later until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed. Between 1870 and 1965 states used a variety of methods in discriminating against minorities and keeping them from voting. These methods included Poll Taxes and Literacy Tests, which African Americans struggled to overcome because they were also discriminated against in the work force and in the educational system.

An interesting anecdote of the XV Amendment is how it is assumed to have made its way to Congress. Ulysses S. Grant won election to President in 1868 primarily due to the republican African American votes in the South. Grant was elected by a small margin and without these votes he might have lost to his opponent Horatio Seymour. Grant believed if more African Americans were given the right to vote, it would strengthen his party for future proceedings. The amendment had an effect on National politics for a short time as it allowed Northern African Americans to vote, even though the Southern States resisted African American voting with violence, intimidation, poll taxes, and literacy tests.

To view the actual XV amendment go to http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=44