Amendment XV: Race and the Right to Vote

by Jeff Hay (Editor)

Overview

The right to vote was not always granted to all Americans, which is a horrible blemish on American history, nevertheless this crucial right is held under the Fifteenth Amendment. Readers will examine its historical background, its challenges, and its successes. Readers will come to understand the necessity of ensuring voting rights in contemporary America.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780737750621
Publisher:	Greenhaven Publishing LLC
Publication date:	06/13/2009
Series:	Constitutional Amendments: Beyond the Bill of Rights Series
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.33(d)
Age Range:	15 - 17 Years

Table of Contents

Foreword 11

Amendment Text and Explanation 14

Introduction 17

Chronology 24

Chapter 1 Historical Background on the Fifteenth Amendment

The Fifteenth Amendment Was Part of a "Second Constitution" for the United States George P. Fletcher 29

The Ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment Helped Former Rebel States Rejoin the Union Brooks D. Simpson 35

Ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment Is Simply Justice Benjamin F. Whittemore 45

Voting Rights Should Be Preserved for White Men of European Background James R. Doolittle 51

The Fifteenth Amendment Will Help Blacks Fulfill Their Potential as Americans Frederick Douglass 60

The Federal Government Must Enforce the Fifteenth Amendment's Guarantees Martin Luther King 65

Chapter 2 Challenging and Affirming the Fifteenth Amendment

Individual States Cannot Restrict the Fifteenth Amendment's Guarantees Edward D. White 75

States May Restrict Nonwhites from Voting in State Primaries Owen Roberts 87

States Cannot Restrict Voting in Primaries to Whites Only Stanley F. Reed 96

Congress Has the Right to Enforce the Fifteenth Amendment Earl Warren 103

Parts of the Voting Rights Act Are Unconstitutional Hugo Black 112

Chapter 3 Ensuring Voting Rights in Contemporary America

Indiana's Voter ID Law Threatens to Disenfranchise Some Voters Cynthia Tucker 120

Voter ID Laws Have Not Been Shown to Reduce Voter Turnout Jeff Milyo 124

States Continue to Find Ways to Restrict Voters Adam Cohen 128

Some Authorities Still Try to Stop African Americans from Voting Art Levine 132

Federal Officials Still Monitor Elections to Ensure Fair Voting Procedures Katherine Sayre 137

Appendices

A The Amendments to the U.S. Constitution140

B Court Cases Relevant to the Fifteenth Amendment 142

For Further Research 145

Index 149

Editorial Reviews

Review: Amendment XV: Race and the Right to Vote "If you have students who struggle with understanding the Constitution, these books will help them out immensely."—Library Media Connection, October 2009

From the Publisher