Fifteenth Amendment
Dublin Core
Title
Fifteenth Amendment
Subject
African Americans, suffrage
Description
The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution prohibits the United States government and the government of any state from denying the vote to any citizen "on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." It was passed by Congress in February 1869 and ratified by the states in 1870.
Date
1869, 1870
Contributor
Transcription courtesy of Library of Virginia
Rights
CC BY-SA
Format
PDF
Type
Transcription
Identifier
15th Amendment_Transcription.pdf
Coverage
United States
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Right to Vote (1870)
Amendment XV
Section 1.
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—
Section 2.
The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Passed by Congress February 26, 1869. Ratified February 3, 1870.
Citation
“Fifteenth Amendment,” Remaking Virginia: Transformation Through Emancipation, accessed October 31, 2025, https://www.virginiamemory.com/online-exhibitions/items/show/618.