How does the Voting Rights Act of 1965 connect to Black suffrage laws passed after the Civil War?
A. The Voting Rights Act guarantees equal protection under the laws.
B. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits the use of literacy tests by states.
C. The Voting Rights Act prohibits a state from preventing someone from voting because of their race.
D. The Voting RIghts Act prevents states from using the black codes developed after the Civil War
C. The Voting Rights Act prohibits a state from preventing someone from voting because of their race.
C. The Voting Rights Act prohibits a state from preventing someone from voting because of their race.
The correct answer is C. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits a state from preventing someone from voting because of their race.
To understand how the Voting Rights Act of 1965 connects to Black suffrage laws passed after the Civil War, we need to look at the historical context.
After the Civil War, three constitutional amendments were passed: the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, the 14th Amendment granted equal protection under the law to all citizens, and the 15th Amendment guaranteed the right to vote regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
However, despite these amendments, several states in the South enacted a series of restrictive measures known as "black codes" to suppress the voting rights of Black citizens. These codes included literacy tests, poll taxes, and other discriminatory practices aimed at preventing Black individuals from exercising their right to vote.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was enacted to address and rectify these discriminatory practices. It aimed to enforce the 15th Amendment and ensure that all citizens, regardless of their race, were able to exercise their right to vote.
The Act specifically prohibits any state from implementing policies or practices that prevent individuals from voting based on their race or color. This includes the use of literacy tests, poll taxes, or any other requirements that disproportionately affect minority voters.
Therefore, the connection between the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Black suffrage laws passed after the Civil War is that the Act was enacted to combat and eliminate the discriminatory voting practices that were established during that time, ultimately guaranteeing equal voting rights for all citizens, regardless of their race.