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Fifteenth Amendment

Definition

The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1870, prohibits the federal government and each state from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude."

Analogy

Think of the Fifteenth Amendment as a key. Just like how a key unlocks a door for everyone regardless of their appearance or past, this amendment unlocked voting rights for all citizens regardless of their race or past status as slaves.

Related terms

Thirteenth Amendment: This amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States.

Fourteenth Amendment: This amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States—including former enslaved people—and guaranteed all citizens “equal protection of the laws.”

Voting Rights Act of 1965: A landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.