Ace the 2025 APUSH Challenge – Master AMSCO U.S. History with Confidence!

The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, specifically addressed voting rights by prohibiting the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." This amendment was a crucial step forward in the fight for civil rights, particularly for African American men, who, following the Civil War, gained the legal right to vote. It was part of the broader Reconstruction era efforts to integrate formerly enslaved individuals into the political fabric of the United States.

While the other options present significant issues related to voting and rights, they do not pertain to the content of the 15th Amendment. For instance, the right to vote for women was addressed later with the 19th Amendment in 1920. The abolition of poll taxes came with the 24th Amendment in 1964 and the right to a fair trial pertains to legal protections found in the Bill of Rights, particularly the Sixth Amendment. Thus, the importance of the 15th Amendment lies in its explicit extension of voting rights to African American men, marking a pivotal moment in America’s democratic development.