Post date: Apr 17, 2013 3:53:29 PM
4. “The right of citizens of the United States 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.” Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, 1870 (2008)
Despite the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment, voter turnout among African American citizens was very
low throughout the first half of the twentieth century. Over the past 50 years, civil rights policies have changed
substantially, along with a significant increase in African American voter turnout.
(a) Explain how two measures taken by some states prior to the 1960s affected voter turnout among African
American citizens.
(b) Facing discrimination at the voting booth, many African American citizens turned to alternative forms of
political participation. Describe two alternative forms of participation that helped bring about changes in
civil rights policies.
(c) Choose one of the forms of participation you described in (b) and explain why it was effective in changing
civil rights policies.
To read a packet of graded essays on this topic, click the following link: 2008 FRQ #4 Graded Essay Packet