Voting Rights and Amendments

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to voting rights, the Fifteenth Amendment, the Voting Rights Act, and relevant Supreme Court cases.

Fifteenth Amendment

Ratified in 1870, it prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on 'race, color, or previous condition of servitude.'

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation aimed at overcoming legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote as guaranteed under the Fifteenth Amendment.

Shelby County v. Holder (2013)

A landmark Supreme Court case that invalidated a key part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, changing how states are monitored for voting rights.

Whites-only primaries

Primary elections in which only white voters were allowed to participate, which were sustained by the Supreme Court for many years.

Disenfranchisement

The revocation of the right to vote, often targeting specific groups such as African Americans through various legal and illegal means.

Circumstances of the Fifteenth Amendment

The amendment was a response to the efforts of the Reconstruction era to secure voting rights for former slaves after the Civil War.

Progressive Era Amendments

The series of amendments (XVI-XXVII) that expanded democracy and social justice in the early 20th century United States, including amendments related to income tax and women's suffrage.