By the second half of the 18th century, freed slaves possessed the right to vote in all but three states. It wasn't until the 19th century that states began passing laws to disenfranchise black populations. In 1850, only 6 of 31 states allowed blacks to vote. 1After the Civil War, three Reconstruction Amendments were passed. The first and second aimed to end slavery and ensure equal rights. The third, the 15th Amendment, guaranteed suffrage regardless of color, race, or previous position of servitude.2 The 15th Amendment greatly changed the structure of American politics as it was no longer privileged whites who voted. For some it was as if hell had come to earth, but for others it was the song of freedom. However, the song was short-lived. While many political cartoons of the period show former slaves' freedom to vote due to the 15th Amendment, they often neglect to include the fact that many African Americans were forced to vote a certain way or were simply stripped of their rights. The Fifteenth Amendment was proposed to Congress on February 26, 1869, and was ratified a year later. After the Civil War, the Confederate states were forced to ratify the Reconstruction Amendments in order to be reintegrated into the union.3 Charles Sumner, an equal rights advocate, refused to vote because he believed the amendment did not take the measures necessary to prevent the development of various state laws that could disenfranchise black voters.4 Sumner was right: By the 1890s, many states had passed laws designed to prevent blacks from voting. Poll Taxes and Literacy Tests may be the most emblematic legislation of the period. These laws were passed to maintain...... half of document ...... n of the 15th Amendment. The Fifteenth Amendment provided a ray of hope to former slaves and their desire for equal rights in a racially unequal country. However, because of its passage, the 15th Amendment also stimulated racial feelings even more than before 1870. Because of the new amendment, many whites saw their positions of power threatened. What initially seemed like a newfound sense of belonging quickly turned into a growing sense of alienation and political pressure. However, political cartoons immediately following ratification appear to sidestep the issue of black voter disenfranchisement. While many show the new freedoms enjoyed by Black citizens, few show depictions of white supremacist groups coercing Black citizens. It would not be until nearly a hundred years after the 15th Amendment that this political pressure would be relieved from black voters..