First Vote
Black Suffrage: A Political Revolution
15th Amendment

FirstVote celebrates the 15th Amendment to the US Constitution, the Civil War amendment that enfranchised African American men Certified on March 30, 1870, the 15th was for many years praised as “the greatest gain of the Civil War.”

This website presents evidence of the contrasting impact of the 15th Amendment on two Kentucky counties, both with long histories of black enslavement.

· · · · · ·
Kentucky Timeline
Kentucky Timeline

Explore the people, events, and themes in Kentucky as newly-freed black men
shape the politics of a tumultuous era—from the Fifteenth Amendment’s ratification in 1870
to Kentucky’s adoption of the Australian secret ballot in 1891.

· · · · · ·
Todd County KY
Plantation Country
Black voters challenged the old political order in Todd County, but the Republican Party failed to organize so the Democratic Party and the old order prevailed.
examine
Regions of Todd
Examine voting and voter turnout by race across Todd County’s regions. Go >
explore
People
Todd County - People
Read about the earliest black voters, those who stood up to the KKK, and African Americans who were Democrats.
Go >
Events
Todd County - Events
Explore the first election with black voters, KKK violence, local town elections, and more.
Go >
Themes
Todd County - Themes
Discover the importance of black soldiers, Democratic Party organization, and black turnout.
Go >
· · · · · ·
Garrard County KY
Blue Grass Country
The Republican Party became the dominant political force in Garrard County, supported by a strong African American vote.
examine
Voters in Garrard
Examine spatial patterns of voting and voter turnout by race in Garrard. Go >
explore
People
Garrard County - People
Read about the earliest black voters, prominent Republican organizers, and Civil War veterans.
Go >
Events
Garrard County - Events
Explore the first election with black voters, election riots, and cross-racial alliances.
Go >
Themes
Garrard County - Themes
Discover how African Americans took up the right to vote in often threatening circumstances and why a black-white majority coalition succeeded.
Go >
· · · · · ·
The Project
The Project

The right of African American men to vote was the whole point of the 15th Amendment. Ironically, little is known about its impact because summary election returns cannot be broken down by race. Did African American men vote? How did black voting change across time? What caused this change? Which parties and candidates did African Americans support? How did the African American votes make a difference to election outcomes?

Using unique data from pollbooks in Kentucky, which recorded the names of all voters and their votes for each office, our project reveals that African American men not only voted, they voted in large numbers, with enthusiasm and a determination to exercise the right to vote.

On this website, you can explore how, where and why the 15th Amendment was successful, and witness African American men, once enslaved by white men, exercise their right to vote, oftentimes working with white men to achieve power.


Learn more >