Question

The federal government was given the power to force local officials to allow African-Americans the right to vote. What were the methods that were made illegal to restrict African-Americans from voting?

1) Literacy tests
2) Poll taxes
3) Grandfather clauses
4) All of the above

Answer 1

Methods made illegal to restrict African-Americans from voting included literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses. Legislation like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Supreme Court rulings helped to dismantle these discriminatory practices.

Step-by-step explanation:

The federal government enacted measures to eliminate discriminatory practices that restricted African-Americans from voting. The methods that were made illegal include: 1) literacy tests, where African-Americans were often given more difficult tests than white voters; 2) poll taxes, a fee that had to be paid before voting which was usually beyond the financial reach of African Americans; and 3) grandfather clauses, which exempted individuals from literacy tests if their ancestors had the right to vote before African-Americans were granted this right, effectively excluding African-Americans from these exemptions.

The disenfranchisement of Black voters was finally addressed through influential legislation such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibited states from denying voting rights based on race, and the Supreme Court's determination that grandfather clauses, along with other restrictions, were unconstitutional.