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1895 BCE
Grandfather Clause
The Grandfather Clause was a legal or constitutional mechanism passed by seven Southern states during Reconstruction to deny suffrage to Blacks. Essentially, if your grandfather was a slave, then you were denied several rights, including the right to vote. -
Birth of the Constitution
It was on this day that the constitution was written and adopted, giving white land owning men the right to vote. -
13th amendment passed
It was on this day that people of color were officially freed from their shackles. Although many still suffered for years yet to come due to lack of control in the South as well as the slow spread of news. Regardless it was the first step toward African-American rights. -
End of the Civil War
The end of the Civil War forced the South to once again follow the rules of the constitution, and although discrimination was still at an all-time high, African-Americans were free Throughout all of the US. -
Period: to
black codes
after the 13th Amendment freeing slaves was passed, states began passing black codes that limited the rights of black in harsh ways, as a way to force black people into indentured servitude legally. Until they were abolished by another amendment. -
15th amendment passed
the fifteenth Amendment was passed within a month after the Civil War. It banned the denial or abridgment of suffrage on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It effectively gave African-American men the right to vote. -
Discrimination
After the 15th Amendment was passed, states began taking measures to once again restrict the voting rights of black men through methods such as poll tax, literacy tests, and residency requirements.