Slavery had been made illegal in 1865 by the ratification of the 13th Amendment, and, in 1870, the US government passed the 15th Amendment, which granted African Americans the right to vote, although many were still unable to do so due to other discriminatory laws in place.
The 15th Amendment states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”
Five years later, the Civil Rights Act of 1875 passed, prohibiting discrimination against African Americans in public places, including transportation and accommodations, but it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court just eight years later. It took nearly a century for the principles to be passed into law.
Read the full article here
