The 15th amendment was ratified as one of the Reconstruction amendments, along with the 13th and 14th amendments, and prohibited the government from denying individual voting rights based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” The intent was to expand the electorate to include newly freed slaves. In practice, however, local officials created alternated methods for restricting voting rights (e.g., literacy tests and poll taxes).
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Topic
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Constitution Annotated- 15th Amendment
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This website presents the U.S. Constitution broken down by articles and amendments, including a section on the 15th Amendment.
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Primary Documents in American History: 15th Amendment to the Constitution
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A list of online and print resources related to the 15th amendment.
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The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom
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An exhibition on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in voting, among other things.