Civil Rights and Voting in America

The podcast discusses the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which added 4 million former slaves to the voting rolls, leading to the election of African Americans to Congress. The 15th Amendment, added in 1870, granted African American men the right to vote, but the Supreme Court ruled in 1876 that voting was a state-conveyed privilege. Discriminatory laws in the South and beyond made it difficult for African Americans to vote until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s brought change.

What was one significant outcome of the Civil Rights Act of 1866?

• It abolished slavery in the United States.

• It added 4 million former slaves to the voting rolls.

• It granted women the right to vote.

• It established the Supreme Court.

How many African Americans were elected to Congress between 1870 and 1900?

• 100

• 50

• 24

• 10

What did the 15th Amendment aim to achieve?

• End segregation in public schools.

• Establish the right to free speech.

• Grant voting rights to African American men.

• Provide equal employment opportunities.

What was the Supreme Court's stance on the 15th Amendment in 1876?

• It was irrelevant to state laws.

• It guaranteed voting rights to all citizens.

• It abolished discriminatory voting laws.

• It did not grant the right to vote to anyone.

Which region of the United States made it particularly difficult for African Americans to vote after the 15th Amendment?

• The Midwest

• The Northeast

• The West

• The South

When were the discriminatory voting laws finally challenged and changed?

• During the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s

• In the early 1900s

• During the American Revolution

• In the 1980s

What was the primary focus of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s?

• Technological advancement

• Economic reform

• Environmental protection

• Voting rights and ending segregation