From the Annals of Democracy –  In 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was formally adopted after its ratification by 3/4ths of the States.  The Amendment reads “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.”

With the adoption of the 15th Amendment in 1870, African-American voters joined by white allies brought the Republican Party to power in Texas.  The promise of a new day in American politics, however, was cut short by the GOP’s refusal to consolidate the gains for which so many had died in the Civil War.  The Texas Republican Party vanished with the end of Reconstruction.  Afterwards, Texas acted in clear contravention of the 15th Amendment in refusing to recognize the right of African Americans to vote. It would be nearly a century before a President from Texas would secure the rights of all Texas citizens to vote.