Hipu History: The 15th Amendment

Introduction

• Discussed the Reconstruction Amendments: 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.
• Focus on the 15th Amendment, which gave African American males the right to vote.
• Examination of its text, history, effect, and failure.

Text of the 15th Amendment

• Section 1: Voting rights cannot be denied based on race, color, or previous servitude.
• Section 2: Congress has the power to enforce this article with appropriate legislation.

Historical Context

• 1865: Civil War ends; 13th Amendment abolishes slavery.
  • Reaction to the failure of the Emancipation Proclamation.
• Increase in Southern representation in Congress due to full representation of former slaves.
• 1866: Civil Rights Act passed to enfranchise African Americans facing discrimination.
  • First override of a presidential veto (Andrew Johnson) by Congress.

14th Amendment

• Made African Americans citizens.
• Southern states had to accept it to rejoin the Union.

15th Amendment Creation

• 1868-1869: Radical Republicans pushed for the amendment due to power concerns.
• Intended to secure Republican voter base by enfranchising Southern African Americans.
• Resistance faced in North and South, including from women's suffrage groups.
  • Split in women's suffrage movement: National vs. American Women's Suffrage Associations.
• Passed narrowly as a party vote in 1870.

Political and Social Implications

• African Americans initially supported Republicans like Rutherford B. Hayes.
• 1876: Controversy in presidential election; Hayes becomes president.
  • Withdrawal of Union troops; rise of Jim Crow laws.
• Supreme Court interpretation limited 15th Amendment’s effectiveness.
  • Allowed race-neutral barriers (poll taxes, literacy tests) to persist.

Long-term Effects

• Reduced African American voting rights until the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
  • Federal government began supervising elections to prevent racial discrimination.

Conclusion

• 15th Amendment meant to be a step forward for equality.
• Historical irony in its initial failure and eventual partial success.
• Encouragement to learn about the other Reconstruction Amendments.

Miscellaneous

• Acknowledgements to supporters and contributors for enabling continued educational efforts.
• Encouragement for viewers to support and subscribe to the channel.