ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Disfranchisement after the Reconstruction era

After the Civil War, there were black people who were given the right to vote. However, some people who did not want them to have that right made some laws that made it very hard for black people to vote. These laws are called disfranchisement laws. They made it very hard for black people to vote by asking them questions that were too hard, or making them take tests that were too hard.

These tests and questions were meant to keep black people from voting. Even though they were technically allowed to vote, it was really hard for them to do so. Because of these laws, many black people were not able to vote for many years after the Civil War. This was a really bad thing because everyone should have the right to vote no matter what the color of their skin is.

It took a very long time for some of these laws to change, but eventually, people realized how unfair they were and they started to change. Today, everyone has the right to vote, no matter what the color of their skin is.