Definition: The Fifteenth Amendment states that the rights of citizens may not be infringed because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It was the third of the Reconstruction Amendments (Amendments 13-15). It was also decided that congress had the power to enforce this amendment. It gave African Americans the right to vote and to hold office. It also nearly did not become a ratified amendment, as not every state agreed to it.
Importance: The Fifteenth Amendment was a landmark amendment that guaranteed rights to non-whites. It was the final amendment of the Reconstruction, and thus was seen as the finisher. Because it was passed despite not every state agreeing to it, it showed the changing attitude of the American states. It showed that the Reconstruction had, in some way, succeeded in making the country more open to equal rights for both races. Just as important is the fact that Congress, not the President, was to enforce this amendment. At the time, the power to enforce the Constitution and its amendments was in contest between the Congress and the President. This bill gave Congress even more power.
FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT 1870
by Nicholas GuarracinoDefinition: The Fifteenth Amendment states that the rights of citizens may not be infringed because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It was the third of the Reconstruction Amendments (Amendments 13-15). It was also decided that congress had the power to enforce this amendment. It gave African Americans the right to vote and to hold office. It also nearly did not become a ratified amendment, as not every state agreed to it.
Importance: The Fifteenth Amendment was a landmark amendment that guaranteed rights to non-whites. It was the final amendment of the Reconstruction, and thus was seen as the finisher. Because it was passed despite not every state agreeing to it, it showed the changing attitude of the American states. It showed that the Reconstruction had, in some way, succeeded in making the country more open to equal rights for both races. Just as important is the fact that Congress, not the President, was to enforce this amendment. At the time, the power to enforce the Constitution and its amendments was in contest between the Congress and the President. This bill gave Congress even more power.
Secondary Source
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
Primary Source
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html