The 15th Amendment was an law added to the United States Constitution in 1870 that gave citizens the right to vote no matter their race, skin color, or previous conditions of servitude. This specifically applied to African American males who, though technically were citizens under the 14th amendment, were still being oppressed and restricted from voting. According to Angela Davis in her text, while some feminist activists in the 19th century supported this amendment, others were adamantly opposed to it. These activists were both males and females and many of them had been or were distinguished figures in the abolitionist movement. Supporters argued that African American men had as much of a right as anyone to vote and shouldn 't be denied that right simply because women were, while antagonists argued that until women …show more content…
Even though African Americans were now free and considered citizens thanks to the 13th and 14th amendments, they were still severely oppressed. While technically they had more rights and opportunities in the United Sates government than females, they did not truly receive them. As Frederick Douglass said over and over again in support of the 15th amendment, the abolishment of slavery did not eradicate racism. It was still a huge problem in America. Abolishment had been achieved in name and name only, because they were economically just as tyrannized as before. In the eyes of the feminists who supported the 15th amendment, they saw it as an opportunity for African American males to be able to make a bigger influence in American politics and hopefully lessen the iron fist they were under. With the ability to vote, the hope was that the rather large population of African American males would have the chance to make a real impact in
(Nugent, p. 116) The amendment granted woman’s suffrage, and was the fruit of many years of labor of several women’s rights groups, such as the National American Woman Suffrage Association, and prominent women’s rights activists, such as Susan B. Anthony. The amendment expanded the bounds of popular democracy, bringing attention to women who felt increasingly ignored as participants in the political system (Piott, p. 166). Being the inalienable right of any citizen, the right to vote inevitably expanded the political freedom of American women, and also opened other doors of opportunity to them; they could advocate for more job opportunities, better economic security, and advantageous marital and family
The Tenth Amendment was added to the Constitution of 1787 by James Madison due to the problem with its predecessor, the Articles of Confederation. In Article 2 in the Articles of Confederation it states, “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom and independence, and every Power, Jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.” With states having too much sovereignty this caused an issue. Madison was a Federalist and believed that the federal government should have some control over states, therefore, he proposed the 10th Amendment. By the constitution getting rid of state sovereignty it meant Anti-Federalists fearing the possibility of a federal government with unlimited power. However, the states were able to compromise and ratify the Constitution under the agreement that powers not stated on it are reserved to the states or to the people. The 10th Amendment overall gives clarification that federal power is limited and that states or the have control on the issues not stated on the constitution. However, not everyone agreed to the 10th amendment. It was seen as
The Tenth Amendment was ratified along with the rest of the Bill of Rights on December 17th, 1791, as well, unlike most other amendments, it gave rights not only to the people, but also to the state governments. The Tenth Amendment was passed in order to delegate powers to the state governments and the people that the national government does not have, this amendment states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people”
...dom and right to vote established by the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, blacks were still oppressed by strong black codes and Jim Crow laws. The federal government created strong legislation for blacks to be helped and educated, but it was ineffective due to strong opposition. Although blacks cried out to agencies, such as the Freemen's Bureau, declaring that they were "in a more unpleasant condition than our former" (Document E), their cries were often overshadowed by violence.
The eighth amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishments. New Cutting edge technology carries with it the likelihood of new treatment for criminals. A fictional example of such technology is Ludovico treatment, which alters the consciousness of a criminal and makes them non-violent. The use of the Ludovico treatment on prisoners can be considered a cruel and unusual punishment and thus violate the eighth amendment. Even though this treatment may be technically unconstitutional, it would be allowed in the United States for the betterment of society.
Due to the Jim Crow laws in the South, she completed limited schooling available for young black girls. During the period of Women's Suffrage in the early 1900s, sometimes black women were discriminated against from the end of the Civil War and onward. When the 19th amendment was passed in 1920, it enfranchised all women, white and black. Although within the few decades, state laws and vigilante practices, which would disenfranchise most black women in the South. It took a major movement- Civil Rights Movement to take effect in the 1960s for African Americans before black women in the South would have the right to vote effectively. (African American Women and Suffrage.
The nineteenth amendment is the right for women to vote no matter the color or way they are. But it led to women's suffrage movement which was women trying to get the right to vote. Which was followed by many rights that they were given but it wasn’t given
African Americans had an active participation during the Reconstruction era and worked hard to achieve rights that they deserved. African Americans acquired different roles, both as individuals and in groups to achieve their goals. One very important role of the African Americans was participation in voting during elections. After the 15Th amendment was passed in 1870 voting was not restricted by race. With this newfound voting power African Americans could control the future of their country. Thanks to this, other rights could now be gained through democratic election. Another role was the African American leaders that represented
The 15th Amendment states that “The right of the 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”. This gave African Americans the right to vote. The amendment seemed to signify the fulfillment of all promises to African Americans. The 15th Amendment is also categorized as one of the three constitutional amendments. In the beginning thirty-seven states ratified the 15th Amendment. The first of these states to ratify the 15th Amendment was Nevada. To disenfranchise African Americans, devices were written into the constitutions of former confederate states. In 1869, when the New Year began, the republicans were anxious to introduce a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the black man’s right to vote. Congress considered the amendment that was proposed for two months. When congress approved a compromise, the amendment did not specifically mention the black man. The struggle for and against ratification hung on what blacks and other political interests would do. The Republican-dominated Congress passed the First Reconstruction Act. This act divided the South into five military districts and outlining how ...
One of the basic rights African Americans struggled to obtain was the right to vote. In 1870, the 15th Amendment was ratified. The amendment stated that “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.” (U.S. Constitution). As this was thought as a victory, it was soon to be seen that it was anything but. White men in the nation saw this as a threat and improvised new ways to prevent African Americans to vote such as the installment of poll taxes, literacy test, and the “grandfather clause”. In Litwin’s book, Fighting for the Right to Vote, Litwin explains how Mississippi Delta activist, Fannie Lou Hamer assisted other African Americans in registering to vote and helping them gain a voice in the movement. Voting was not the only place where African Americans fell short of capabilities. Due to Jim Crow laws, African Americans could not do such basic things as ride first-class passenger on a primarily white train or a bus. A lady known as Rosa Parks in the neighboring state of Alabama found herself facing charges when she refused to give up her seat on the bus during the time of the movement. The Jim Crow laws were created to prevent African Americans from making any advancements that could potentially threaten white
“The Civil Rights Act of 1866 defined all persons born in the United States as citizens and listed certain rights of all citizens, including the right to testify in court, own property, make contracts, bring lawsuits, and enjoy full and equal benefit of all laws and proceedings for the security of person and property” (Berkin, Cherny, Gormly, Miller, 2013, 430). To forever protect the freed people’s rights as citizens the Fourteenth Amendment was created. The Fourteenth Amendment was still flawed. Woman’s rights supporters Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony “complained that the amendment, for the first time, introduced the word male into the constitution in connection with voting and rights” (Berkin, Cherny, Gormly, Miller, 2013, 431). After much Congressional debate in February 1869 Congress approved the Fifteenth Amendment. It “prohibited both federal and state governments from restricting a person’s right to vote because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude” (Berkin, Cherny, Gormly, Miller, 2013, 435). Stanton and Anthony were against this amendment too because it “ignored restrictions based on sex” (Berkin, Cherny, Gormly, Miller, 2013, 435). The amendment still didn’t lessen the
...t vote. (DOC H) Eventually, women reached their goal with the passage of the 19th amendment, prohibiting the denial of the right to vote based on gender, but African Americans didn’t see major change for decades to come.
The 19th Amendment recognized the right of women to participate in politics equally like men. Well, do you know when it was ratified? It was on August 8th, 1920, which is really recent. After more than seventy years of relentless work, women finally won the struggle. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prevents the United States federal government and the states from denying the right of citizens to vote on the basis of their sex. In other words, it guarantees the right to vote for all Americans including blacks and women. This amendment resulted in some impacts on American society. It also resulted in a significant change in American politics.
...h and 15th Amendments were made to improve the lives of African Americans and give them equal rights with white citizens. While the intention of the lawmakers was good, the amendments failed because of the strength of the feelings of former slave owners and their ability to influence the people that enforced the law.
In the latter half of the 18th century, freed slaves possessed the right to vote in all but three states. It was not until the 19th century that states began to pass laws to disenfranchise the black population. In 1850, only 6 out of the 31 states allowed blacks to vote. 1Following the civil war, three reconstruction amendments were passed. The first and second sought to end slavery and guarantee equal rights. The third, the 15th amendment, granted suffrage regardless of color, race, or previous position of servitude.2 The 15th Amendment monumentally changed the structure of American politics as it was no longer the privileged whites who could vote. For some it was as though hell had arrived on earth, but for others, it was freedom singing. However, the song was short lived. While many political cartoons from the period show the freedom that ex-slaves have for voting because of the 15th Amendment, they often neglect to include the fact that many African Americans were coerced into voting a certain way or simply had their rights stripped from them.