Which of these events most directly resulted in expanded protections for the civil rights of African Americans in the South?
a. the election of Ulysses S. Grant in 1868
b. the passage of the Wade-Davis Bill in 1864
c. the impeachment of Andrew Johnson in 1868
d. the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870
The 15th Amendment states that 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.
The correct answer is D. The Fifteenth Amendment granted voting rights to all male citizens regardless of race. This was a large step towards African Americans gaining civil rights.
