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The 15th Amendment to the Constitution is Important.

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The first twelve amendments to the United States Constitution were all adopted in the first twenty years of its existence.

Following the twelfth amendment, sixty years would pass before an event would again provoke change great enough to demand further changes to the Constitution.

That event was our Civil War, an event that defined who Americans were and where they would go as a nation as much as the revolution itself.

The three amendments added as a result are collectively known as the Civil War Amendments.

Final among this trio is the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees our Declaration of Independence is in earnest when it declares, “…all men are created equal.”

It states, “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.”

This brief amendment truly began the “melting pot” the United States of America has become.

So long as it stands sentinel, those of any race are guaranteed one of the most important rights, the ability to vote and determine the direction this nation moves.

The right to vote is often the most frequently taken for granted by today’s American citizen, though it is the primary weapon they are given to protect all their other rights.

As you can hear by the crowd’s reaction in this clip of Ruby Dee reading the end of the 14th Amendment and the 15th Amendment’s brief but powerful message:

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Rights

Since the very beginning of the United States of America, there had been a rumbling undercurrent of thought.

Among the founding fathers there were those who knew it was wrong that, even as they won their own freedom and equality, there were many among them who were not granted the same.

This rumbling grew to a roar which could not be ignored during the Civil War.

The right to vote was not the final blow in the battle for equal rights, but it gave many Americans a weapon to fight with and gave hope and the ability to bring about change to those who had before been helpless and reliant on others.

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Right to Vote is a Beginning

The right granted by the 15th Amendment to the Constitution does not, in itself, achieve anything. Rather, it grants many the means they will require for the achievement of anything.

It gives people their own voice and allows them to stand for themselves rather than relying upon others.

The next time one feels too busy, distracted, or even lazy to go to the polls, perhaps they should reflect upon the 15th amendment to the Constitution.

An easy parallel to the scenes it caused can be found in today’s Iraq. The eager crowds of Iraqis who bravely flocked to the polls should remind Americans of an important fact.

The right to vote is a bridge to hope, and when it is taken away, there is nothing you can do about it.

Therefore, the 15th Amendment to the Constitution is important to know, but even more important to utilize.

The right to vote does no one any good if it is not used. This amendment could be one of the most, or least, potent in the Constitution.

Its strength is only realized if those it applies to remember to use it.

Remember how hard-won the right to vote was, how much it can be used to accomplish, what it will cost to regain if it is ever lost, and always find time to exercise it.

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