Of all the types of freedoms discussed in Chapter 15 by Foner, the one that suck out to me the most is the freedom to vote. To me, the right to vote is an huge responsibility and power. It leaves us, regular people, the right to choose how things should be done and who should do them. It is a right that should be given to everyone. As slaves, African-Americans did not have the right to vote, and it was a right only given to property-owning white men.

In the short term, the African-American dream of getting the right to vote was somewhat realized. The Fifteenth Amendment was ratified in 1870, which prohibited federal and state governments from denying any citizen the right to vote because of race. However, there were still restrictions. African-Americans had to get through literacy tests, property qualifications, and poll taxes. And even then, only eight northern states allowed African-Americans with the right to vote.

However, in the long run, this dream was much realized. With the Civil Rights movements in the 20th Century, voting rights along with other rights became a large part of American history. African-Americans gained recognition and their rights were acknowledged. Women’s suffrage also came out as a result of this.