During the 1820s and 1830s, one of the rights that free African Americans lost in the North and West was the right to vote. As racial tensions and discrimination increased during this period, several states began to pass laws and enact policies that restricted or eliminated the voting rights of African Americans. These measures included introducing property requirements, literacy tests, and other forms of voter suppression targeted specifically at African Americans. As a result, many free African Americans in the North and West found their access to the political process severely limited or completely denied.