African Americans were granted the right to vote with the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was passed by Congress on February 26, 1869, and ratified on February 3, 1870. The 15th Amendment granted African American men the right to vote by prohibiting states from denying the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." However, despite this legal right, many African Americans were disenfranchised through measures such as literacy tests, poll taxes, grandfather clauses, and intimidation, especially in the Southern states, starting in the late 19th century. African Americans' practical right to vote was further secured with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which banned discriminatory practices that had been used to prevent Black citizens from voting. This federal legislation was passed in response to voter suppression and civil rights activism, including events like the Selma to Montgomery marches. The Voting Rights Act provided for federal enforcement to ensure that no person could be denied the right to vote based on race or ethnicity, effectively securing African Americans' voting rights in practice as well as law. In summary:
- African American men gained the constitutional right to vote in 1870 through the 15th Amendment.
- Widespread disenfranchisement persisted until the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 enforced voting rights protections for African Americans.
