Which statement best summarizes the experience of African American voters in the South?

The Fifteenth Amendment gave African American men the right to vote during Reconstruction, and many voted and held office. After Reconstruction, Southern states used measures such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation to disfranchise most Black voters. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 helped restore and protect their access to the ballot, so the best summary is that they lost voting rights gained in Reconstruction and regained them through federal protections.

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