Amendment XV

by Hay, Jeff

• ISBN13: 9780737743272
• ISBN10: 0737743271
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-06-30
• Publisher: Greenhaven Pr

Summary

The Constitutional Amendments: Beyond the Bill of Rights series provides in-depth coverage of key amendments ratified since 1791. Using both historical and contemporary primary and secondary sources-including landmark Supreme Court rulings-each volume first presents the historical background of the featured amendment, followed by an examination of how the court system has tested the validity and application of the amendment. The final chapter of each volume looks at contemporary controversies and debates surrounding the amendment and its impact on our everyday lives. All volumes in the series include an annotated table of contents; a chronology; the original text of the amendment along with a straightforward explanation of its key points; an annotated list of relevant court cases; a bibliography; and a subject index. For students and other researchers, Constitutional Amendments: Beyond the Bill of Rights illuminates the amendments and their integral, ongoing impact on American rights and responsibilities. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 11
Amendment Text and Explanation	p. 14
Introduction	p. 17
Chronology	p. 24
Historical Background on the Fifteenth Amendment
The Fifteenth Amendment Was Part of a "Second Constitution" for the United States	p. 29
The Ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment Helped Former Rebel States Rejoin the Union	p. 35
Ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment Is Simply Justice	p. 45
Voting Rights Should Be Preserved for White Men of European Background	p. 51
The Fifteenth Amendment Will Help Blacks Fulfill Their Potential as Americans	p. 60
The Federal Government Must Enforce the Fifteenth Amendment's Guarantees	p. 65
Challenging and Affirming the Fifteenth Amendment
Individual States Cannot Restrict the Fifteenth Amendment's Guarantees	p. 75
States May Restrict Nonwhites from Voting in State Primaries	p. 87
States Cannot Restrict Voting in Primaries to Whites Only	p. 96
Congress Has the Right to Enforce the Fifteenth Amendment	p. 103
Parts of the Voting Rights Act Are Unconstitutional	p. 112
Ensuring Voting Rights in Contemporary America
Indiana's Voter ID Law Threatens to Disenfranchise Some Voters	p. 120
Voter ID Laws Have Not Been Shown to Reduce Voter Turnout	p. 124
States Continue to Find Ways to Restrict Voters	p. 128
Some Authorities Still Try to Stop African Americans from Voting	p. 132
Federal Officials Still Monitor Elections to Ensure Fair Voting Procedures	p. 137
Appendices
The Amendments to the U.S. Constitution	p. 140
Court Cases Relevant to the Fifteenth Amendment	p. 142
For Further Research	p. 145
Index	p. 149
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.