African Americans were granted the right to vote through the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was passed by Congress on February 26, 1869, and ratified on February 3, 1870. This amendment specifically prohibited denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude, effectively granting African American men the right to vote. However, despite this legal right, many Southern states implemented measures such as literacy tests, poll taxes, grandfather clauses, and outright intimidation to disenfranchise Black voters for many decades. It was not until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, that these discriminatory practices were federally banned, ensuring more effective access to voting rights for African Americans. In summary:
- African American men gained the right to vote legally in 1870 with the 15th Amendment.
- Widespread voter suppression continued through the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Full enforcement and protection of voting rights came with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
This dual historical milestone marks when African Americans first gained legal voting rights and when those rights were more robustly protected in practice.
