Question

what did the passage of the 15th amendment during the reconstruction era accomplish?

a. it blocked states from denying any citizen equal rights.
b. it outlawed voting discrimination based on race.
c. it prohibited slavery in the united states.
d. it barred discrimination in hiring procedures.

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Reconstruction Amendments
Constitutional changes that reshaped civil rights after the Civil War.

Step 1: Understand the 15th Amendment

The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1870 during the Reconstruction Era. Its primary purpose was to protect voting rights for newly freed African American men.

The text of the amendment specifically states that the right of citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Step 2: Evaluate the given options

• A. It blocked states from denying any citizen equal rights.

Incorrect. This describes the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, which granted citizenship and equal protection under the law.

• B. It outlawed voting discrimination based on race.

Correct. This directly matches the core purpose of the 15th Amendment, which prohibited denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous enslavement.

• C. It prohibited slavery in the United States.

Incorrect. This describes the 13th Amendment, which formally abolished slavery.

• D. It barred discrimination in hiring procedures.

Incorrect. Employment discrimination was not addressed by the Reconstruction Amendments; this was addressed much later by civil rights legislation, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Answer:

B. It outlawed voting discrimination based on race.