February 3, 1870 | The Fifteenth Amendment is ratified—promising the right to vote regardless of race, color, or past enslavement. After slavery ended, Congress struggled to protect Black Americans’ voting rights. Early laws weren’t strong enough, allowing states to keep blocking access to the ballot. The Fifteenth Amendment was meant to close those loopholes—marking a major step in the fight for voting and equal rights. This video is brought to you by PARRIS Law Firm; please visit our website f

The Fifteenth Amendment, passed by Congress on February 26, 1869 and ratified nearly a year later on February 3, 1870, prohibited the federal government and each state from denying or abridging a citizen’s right to vote based on race, color or whether they were previously enslaved or not. Blacks in Baltimore played a significant role in both the fall of slavery and the rise of political and constitutional equality for the formerly enslaved. On May 19, 1870, a massive parade was held in Baltimore