Ratified during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Period, the 15th Amendment to the US Constitution was intended primarily to enfranchise former slaves. It states: "The right of citizens...to vote shall not be denied or abridged...on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Though the amendment's purpose was not fully achieved until 1965, the first African American to exercise this right did so the day after the amendment was ratified by participating in what election? Discuss (http://forum.thefreedictionary.com/postst73396_15th-Amendment-to-the-US-Constitution-Ratified.aspx)