African American suffrage

Definition

The right of African Americans to vote during the period of Reconstruction. This was a significant milestone in the fight for civil rights and political equality.

Related terms

Jim Crow laws: Racist laws that enforced segregation and denied equal rights to African Americans.

Fifteenth Amendment: An amendment to the U.S. Constitution passed in 1870 that granted African American men the right to vote.

Voting Rights Act of 1965: Federal legislation that aimed to overcome barriers such as literacy tests and poll taxes, ensuring equal voting rights for all citizens.