The 13th Amendment to the Constitution ended slavery- but that's all it did. Slaves were considered property- they were owned, just like you own a car, a house, or a chair. They were rarely ever taught how to read or write, and because they were owned, they generally didn't own anything.
So then, on December 18th, 1865, slavery was abolished by the 13th Amendment. These people who previously had nothing were suddenly free. They still had nothing and still couldn't read or write. So poll taxes and literacy tests were easy ways to prevent these newly freed black people from voting.
former enslaved African Americans
Poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses were discriminatory practices used primarily in the Southern United States to disenfranchise African American voters after the Reconstruction era. Poll taxes required individuals to pay a fee to vote, which many African Americans could not afford. Literacy tests were often unfairly administered, targeting Black voters with complex questions designed to confuse and disqualify them. Grandfather clauses allowed individuals to bypass these restrictions only if their ancestors had voted before the Civil War, effectively excluding descendants of enslaved people from voting.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965: under the act > (1) ferderal officials could register African Americans as voters since southern voter registration boards refused to, and (2) it effectively eliminated literacy tests and other barriers for them > WHY? > so that African Americans could register to vote in the Deep South
no
i think the answer was that African Americans could choose what sides to be on. and that's all i think the answer is (:
former enslaved African Americans
The Reconstruction Era occurs right after the Civil War, which along with freedom already provides changes to African Americans. Because of this, African Americans were no longer slaves and could perform in practices of business, such as sharecropping. Basically, it opened a range of new opportunities to African Americans.
It was the desire for African Americans to return to Africa after reconstruction when they could not find civil rights and justice.
What kept some African Americans who could read and write from passing literacy test?
prove they could succeed in politics
They could not vote if their grandfather had not been allowed to vote.
Prove they could succeed in politics.
No. They could vote let alone run for office.
The test they had to take was extremely difficult.
he test they had to take was extremely difficult.
African Americans faced widespread segregation and Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation in public facilities such as schools, transportation, and restaurants. They were subjected to separate and inferior facilities and services compared to white Americans. African Americans were also often denied their voting rights through measures such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation tactics. This disenfranchisement suppressed their political power and prevented them from participating fully in the democratic process. African Americans were subjected to widespread racial violence and lynching, particularly in the southern states. They were targeted for asserting their rights or challenging white supremacy, leading to a climate of fear and control that further marginalized and oppressed the African American community.
Southern state legislatures employed literacy tests as part of the voter registration process starting in the late 19th century. Literacy tests, along with poll taxes, residency and property restrictions, and extra-legal activities (violence and intimidation) were all used to deny suffrage to African Americans.