What does the Fifteenth Amendment prohibit?

The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1870, specifically prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." This amendment was primarily aimed at ensuring that newly freed African American men could exercise their right to vote in the post-Civil War United States.

The importance of this amendment lies in its role as a foundational element in the ongoing struggle for civil rights, asserting that race cannot be a criterion for excluding individuals from participating in the electoral process. This amendment directly addresses historical injustices faced by people of color, particularly in the context of Reconstruction and the subsequent efforts to suppress their political power.

The other options relate to different aspects of voting rights but are not covered by the Fifteenth Amendment. For example, the denial of the right to vote based on gender is addressed by the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Denial based on age is governed by laws that set the minimum voting age, generally 18 years, while economic status relates to different legislative measures that seek to ensure equitable access to voting regardless of an individual's financial situation. Therefore, the correct answer highlights the specific focus of the Fifteenth Amendment