Which of the following statements best explains how the Southern states were able to circumvent the provisions of the Fifteenth Amendment?

Question

A. The Fifteenth Amendment applied in the Southern states, but they passed laws that prevented Black Americans from voting.
B. The Fifteenth Amendment only applied in the North.
C. The Supreme Court ruled the Fifteenth Amendment unconstitutional.
D. The Southern states did not approve the Fifteenth Amendment, and consequently, they were not bound by its terms.

Answer 1

A. The Fifteenth Amendment applied in the Southern states, but they passed laws that prevented Black Americans from voting.

This statement best explains how the Southern states circumvented the provisions of the Fifteenth Amendment. After its ratification, Southern states implemented various discriminatory practices such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and understanding clauses that effectively disenfranchised many Black voters, despite the constitutional protections intended by the amendment.