Final answer:
The southern states got around the 15th Amendment by implementing barriers such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses to disenfranchise African Americans.
Step-by-step explanation:
The southern states found ways to get around the 15th Amendment and continue denying voting rights to African Americans. While the amendment prohibited racial discrimination in voting, it did not address other barriers that southern states implemented to disenfranchise black voters. These barriers included literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses.
States required potential voters to pass literacy tests, which were often subjective and designed to be impossible for African Americans to pass. Poll taxes were also implemented, requiring individuals to pay a fee in order to vote, which disproportionately affected poor African Americans who could not afford the tax.
Finally, grandfather clauses were enacted, allowing individuals to vote only if their ancestors had voted before the Civil War. This effectively excluded African Americans whose ancestors were enslaved at the time. These methods allowed southern states to maintain white control over the political system and prevent African Americans from exercising their right to vote.