Which statement explains the reason Congress proposed the 15th Amendment? Section 1 of the amendment is quoted below:
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.
A) to guarantee the right to vote for women
B) to protect the ability of newly freed slaves to vote
C) to stop poll taxes from creating an economic barrier to voting in the South
D) to guarantee equal protection under the law to newly freed slaves