Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: The Reconstruction Amendments
[Free Registration/Login Required] An article that discusses the 13-15th amendments and their impact on social history.
South Carolina Educational Television
Know It All: Reconstruction Amendments
Fifth graders will complete research on one of the Reconstruction amendments then create a project demonstrating their knowledge of that particular amendment as if they are supporting that amendment during the era it was created. Their...
Siteseen
Siteseen: Government and Constitution: 15th Amendment
Short, simple summary with the full text of the 15th amendment that is about the right to vote.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Classroom: 15th Amendment Ratified
The 15th Amendment was passed in 1870. A synopsis of what it stands for is presented here.
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: u.s. Constitution: Fifteenth Amendment
This resource provides the 15th Amendment, which declares the Right of Citizens to Vote, with annotations on Abolition of Suffrage Qualificatrions, Adoption and Judicial Enforcement, and Congressional Enforcement.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: The Vote, Making of African American Identity: V. 2
An appeal for black voting rights and an editorial cartoon opposing them. This resource explains that while the 15th Amendment granted black men the right to vote, southern states fought to block its implementation.
CPALMS
Florida State University Cpalms: Florida Students: The Civil War's Legacy
In this tutorial, students look at how the Civil War ended and the impact on the North and the South and on the future of the United States. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution are also examined for how they came...
US Government Publishing Office
Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: Learning Adventures: The History and Process of Voting
Learning adventures teaches students of all ages about the voting process and the history of voting, citing the 15th and 19th Amendments, Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the 26th Amendment. Links to the National Archives and voter...
Curated OER
The 15th Amendment. Celebrated May 19th 1870.
A brief description of the 15th Amendment.
US National Archives
National Archives: From Dred Scott to the Civil Rights Act of 1875
The Dred Scott case decided that African Americans were not citizens of the United States. However, 18 years later they would have citizenship and many other rights. Students will examine the following documents to understand how and why...
Library of Congress
Loc: Our Place in the Politics of the Country
Although the 15th amendment gave the freedom to vote to African Americans, little was done to enforce it. 90% of African-Americans living in the South were not able to vote, and in the North where voting was easier, the African American...
Other
Black Baltimore 1870 1920: The Fifteenth Amendment Parade and Celebration
Contains a great picture and description of the Fifteenth Amendment parade that was held in Baltimore, to emphasize its importance. Provides links to other civil rights articles.
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Slavery and the Making of America: Freedom & Emancipation
Using primary documents, oral histories and other historical resources, learn about the African American reaction to emancipation and to events from the Reconstruction period following the Civil War.
Other
University of Western Georgia: Reconstruction in the South
An excellent distillation of the many issues addressed in the Reconstruction period in the South in the twelve years after the end of the Civil War.
PBS
Pbs: Learning Media: Why Should Women Vote? The Suffrage Question
In this activity, students view eleven different documents arguing both for and against women's right to vote. They must click and drag them in the order that they were created. As they work, they need to make a list of the arguments...
OpenStax
Open Stax: Radical Reconstruction, 1867 1872
This section explains the purpose of the second phase of Reconstruction and some of the key legislation put forward by Congress, describes the impeachment of President Johnson, and discusses the benefits and drawbacks of the Fifteenth...
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Beginnings of the Movement: African American Men Get the Vote
Explore the ways in which the women's suffrage movement, after African-American men were given the right to vote, fell short. Read texts from this period of time.
The History Cat
The History Cat: Reconstruction Era
Describes what the South was like after the Civil War ended. Many places were in ruins and people were desperately poor with many being homeless. Social structures had collapsed now that slaves had been freed. The Reconstruction era...
US National Archives
Nara: Presidential Election Laws: Presidential Election Laws
Check out this site from the National Archives and Records Administration on the US Constitution and the United States Code for laws and provisions regarding presidential elections.
National Women’s History Museum
National Women's History Museum: Woman's Suffrage Timeline
Learn the history of women's suffrage with this interactive timeline.
Scholastic
Scholastic: u.s. Constitution Changes With the Times
Clear, concise overview of the "voting" amendments to the Constitution. Includes quotes from 20th century Justices and Presidents about Amendments they thought were needed.
iCivics
I Civics: Civil War & Reconstruction
The Civil War and Reconstruction Era brought about the end of slavery and the expansion of civil rights to African Americans through the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. Compare the Northern and Southern states, discover the concepts of...
iCivics
I Civics: Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
This mini-lesson covers the basics of the Supreme Court decision that determined that Dred Scott, having lived in a free territory, was not entitled to his freedom. Students learn about the impact of the Court's decision, and how it was...
US Department of Justice
Introduction to Federal Voting Rights Laws
From the U.S. Justice Department, this is a history of voting rights laws in the United States, including a discussion of the Fifteenth Amendment.