The 15th Amendment: Securing the Right to Vote
The right to vote was not always guaranteed for all Americans. The 15th Amendment was a major step forward, but the fight for true voting equality continues to this day.
The right to vote is one of the most important freedoms in a democracy (government where people choose their leaders). However, for much of U.S. history, this right has been denied to many people.
Before the Civil War, slavery was legal in many states, and Black people, whether free or enslaved, were almost never allowed to vote. When the war ended in 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished (ended) slavery, and the 14th Amendment granted citizenship to formerly enslaved people. However, citizenship did not automatically mean the right to vote.
After the Civil War, the U.S. government passed new laws to make sure that formerly enslaved Black men could participate in elections. Southern states, where most Black Americans lived, quickly passed laws to keep them from voting. White lawmakers feared that if Black men could vote, they would have more political power and influence. In response, Congress passed the 15th Amendment to prevent states from denying the right to vote based on race.
The 15th Amendment, ratified (approved) in 1870, was meant to stop racial discrimination in voting. It states:
"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged (limited) by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude (having been enslaved)."
This amendment gave Black men the legal right to vote. However, it did not guarantee that they would be able to do so easily as even after this amendment became law, many states found ways to keep Black citizens from voting.
Challenges to Voting Rights
After the 15th Amendment was passed, Black men began voting in large numbers, and some were even elected to public office. But many white politicians and local leaders worked to limit their political power.
Southern states introduced new voting rules, such as literacy tests (requiring people to read and write to vote) and poll taxes (charging money to vote). These rules were designed to keep Black voters out, since many formerly enslaved people had been denied education and were too poor to pay poll taxes. Some states also used violence and intimidation, with groups like the Ku Klux Klan threatening Black voters to keep them away from the polls.
These barriers were successful. By the early 1900s, voter turnout among Black Americans in the South had dropped sharply. The 15th Amendment was still the law, but in many places, it was not being followed in practice.
For nearly 100 years after the 15th Amendment, many Black Americans were still prevented from voting. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s worked to change this. Activists like Martin Luther King Jr. led protests and marches to demand equal voting rights.
In response, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which made racial discrimination in voting illegal. The law required certain states to get approval from the federal government before changing voting laws. This helped to stop unfair voting rules that targeted Black citizens.
Over the years, the Supreme Court has ruled on several additional cases that affected the enforcement of the 15th Amendment:
United States v. Reese (1876) weakened the 15th Amendment by allowing states to create voting restrictions that were not directly based on race. This decision made it easier for states to use literacy tests and poll taxes to suppress Black voters.
In Guinn v. United States (1915), the Supreme Court struck down "grandfather clauses" (laws that allowed only people whose grandfathers had voted to avoid literacy tests), which had been used to exclude Black voters while allowing many white voters to bypass these restrictions.
South Carolina v. Katzenbach (1966) upheld the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which banned literacy tests and gave the federal government power to monitor elections in states with histories of voter suppression.
You can learn more about these types of laws in our video below:
The 15th Amendment remains an important part of the U.S. Constitution. However, debates over voting rights continue.
In recent months, some states have passed laws that make it harder to vote, such as requiring specific forms of identification or closing polling places in certain areas. Many civil rights groups argue that these laws disproportionately affect Black and minority voters.
The history of the 15th Amendment shows that while laws can protect rights, they must also be enforced. The fight for equal access to voting is ongoing, and understanding this amendment helps us recognize why voting rights remain a critical issue today.
Sources and Additional Reading
The 15th Amendment, National Archives
Voting Rights and the 15th Amendment, Library of Congress
United States v. Reese, Justia
South Carolina v. Katzenbach, Oyez
Guinn v. United States, Justia
The Voting Rights Act of 1965, U.S. Department of Justice
Reconstruction and the 15th Amendment, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Modern Voting Rights Issues, Brennan Center for Justice