The Fifteenth Amendment

Today in History, February 3: 1870 –

“Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

The Fifteenth Amendment to the US Constitution is ratified, solidifying the rights of African-Americans to vote. This and several other legislative actions were passed by the Republican majority after the Civil War in the advancement of civil rights in America.