Question

Which of these reforms originated with the Grant administration?

1) Securing the right to vote for all male U.S. citizens regardless of race
2) Granting equal property rights for women
3) Enacting compulsory school attendance laws for all states
4) Providing for the direct election of U.S. senators

Answer 1

The reform that originated with the Grant administration was securing the right to vote for all male U.S. citizens regardless of race, achieved through the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reform that originated with the Grant administration among the options provided is securing the right to vote for all male U.S. citizens regardless of race. This was accomplished through the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870, during Ulysses S. Grant's presidency. This amendment was a significant part of the Reconstruction Era amendments, following the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, aimed at extending civil and voting rights to former slaves and other African Americans.

It's important to note that the Fifteenth Amendment directed 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." However, it did not address other forms of voter suppression such as literacy tests and poll taxes. The groundwork laid by the Fifteenth Amendment was crucial for the eventual passage of later legislation that would further protect and enforce voting rights.