The 15th AmendmentReconstruction

Voting Rights (Race)

Ratified 1870

What It Means

Prohibits denying the right to vote based on race.

Historical Context

Despite this amendment, systemic voter suppression continued until the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Original Text

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged... on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Amendment Number
15 of 27
Ratified
1870
Category
Reconstruction