AnalysisThe history of African Americans has had a great impact on our country. They went through a long period of slavery, discrimination and judgment. They are treated, to this day, as a lower level based on their skin color and origins. They spent many years trying to move up the social ladder, but encountered difficulties in this process. Every obstacle they overcame, like slavery, was short-lived, like voting restrictions. The main reason they were able to gain the right to vote was the passage of the 15th Amendment, which allowed them to vote freely. Yet many argue that African Americans were able to gain the right to vote because of already expected social change and easy opportunities to postpone it, such as Jim Crow laws. When the 13th Amendment was passed, African Americans felt a need for change to take place because they were finally freed. Then came the 14th Amendment, which gave African Americans even more hope because they were guaranteed a fair trial and therefore did not have to fear being unjustly accused. Their greatest achievement was the passage of the 15th Amendment. The 15th Amendment states that “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any other state on account of race, color, or previous conditions of servitude.” This was a reason for African Americans to rejoice, as their importance was finally recognized. They finally had the opportunity to prove that they were equal to the rest of society. Without the passage of the 15th Amendment, African Americans would have always been considered inferior to the lower class of society and it was the 15th A...... middle of paper .......d. Internet. April 4. 2013Banfield, Susan. The Fifteenth Amendment: African-American men's right to vote. Springfield, N.U. Enslow, 1998. PrintNewburger, Craig. “Voting Rights and African-Americans.” » Voting rights and African-Americans. Np, April 25. 2012. Internet. April 4. 2013. “Primary Documents of American History.” Constitution of the United States: Primary Documents of American History (Virtual Programs and Services, Library of Congress). Np, and Web. April 4. 2013 “Stephan Beehler: Tweeting the Emory Story.” » Emory News Center. Np, and Web. April 4. 2013 “Teaching with Primary Sources/MTSU”. Teaching with Primary Sources/MTSU. Library of Congress, nd Web. April 4. 2013 “Voting history”. Voting history. Np, and Web. April 4. 2013 “The Voting Rights Act of 1965.” Home page of the Civil Rights Division. Federal Government, nd Web. April 4. 2013