Feminists in the late 1860s greeted discussion of the Fifteenth Amendment with great anticipation. With the talk of enfranchising black men, many feminists believed that this was the opportunity to remove all obstacles to the vote, including gender. The final draft of the amendment disappointed these people severely. Women were not included. Some feminists actually supported the idea including only race in the amendment. They concluded with the debate over enfranchising black men so contentious, including gender may have made ratifying the amendment less likely. They believed race was paramount at this point. Please discuss the following question. Was the Fifteenth Amendment a lost opportunity for women to get the vote, or did women have to accept being overlooked to ensure the step forward for black men?

Feminists in the late 1860s greeted discussion of the Fifteenth Amendment with great anticipation. With the talk of enfranchising black men, many feminists believed that this was the opportunity to remove all obstacles to the vote, including gender. The final draft of the amendment disappointed these people severely. Women were not included. Some feminists actually supported the idea including only race in the amendment. They concluded with the debate over enfranchising black men so contentious, including gender may have made ratifying the amendment less likely. They believed race was paramount at this point. Please discuss the following question. Was the Fifteenth Amendment a lost opportunity for women to get the vote, or did women have to accept being overlooked to ensure the step forward for black men?