15th Amendment: The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, granted African American men the right to vote. This amendment aimed to secure voting rights for formerly enslaved individuals and promote racial equality.
Poll tax: A poll tax was a fee imposed on individuals as a prerequisite for voting. It disproportionately targeted African Americans and served as a way to restrict their voting rights.
Grandfather clause: The grandfather clause was a provision used by some states after the Civil War that allowed individuals to vote only if their grandfathers had been eligible voters before 1867. This clause effectively excluded many African Americans from exercising their right to vote.