What does the 15th Amendment guarantee?

The 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees that the right to vote cannot be denied or abridged based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Ratified in 1870, this amendment was a crucial development during the Reconstruction era, aiming to secure voting rights for African American men after the Civil War.

By explicitly prohibiting the denial of voting rights on these grounds, the amendment sought to ensure that newly freed slaves would have the ability to participate in the democratic process. This foundational principle has immense historical significance, as it laid the groundwork for further civil rights advancements over the years, reinforcing the importance of equal voting access regardless of racial identity or history of servitude.