when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors
for president and vice-president of the United States,
representatives in congress, the executive and judicial officers of
a state, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any
of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty-one years of
age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged,
except for participation in rebellion or other crime, the basis of
representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion, which the
number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male
citizens twenty-one years of age in such state.--(Ratified July 28,
1868.)

Article XV. Section I. The right of citizens of the United States to
vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any
state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Section 2. The congress shall have power to enforce this article (or
these articles) by appropriate legislation.--(Ratified March 30,
1870.)

NEGRO SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES

As a result of these amendments two negroes, one free born, the other a
Freedman were elected to the United States senate, namely, Hiram R.
Revels, 1870-1871; and Blanche K. Bruce, 1875-1881, both from
Mississippi.

Twenty others have enjoyed the privilege of serving as representatives
in congress, during the thirty-two years intervening between 1869 and
1901. The first of these was Jefferson Long of Georgia, who served alone
in 1869 and 1870. During the next four years 1871 to 1874, there were
four representatives, representing Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and
South Carolina, the last having two colored representatives during this
entire period. Their number was then reduced to two representatives, and
finally to none since 1901, save that there were three during the terms
commencing 1877, 1881 and 1883. Their last representatives were George
W. Murray of South Carolina, 1893 to 1897; and George H. White of North
Carolina, 1897 to 1901.

Five of these twenty representatives were re-elected and served terms of
four years; three served six years, and Joseph H. Rainey of South
Carolina enjoyed the unusual privilege of serving ten years, 1875 to
1885. Eight of them were from South Carolina, four from North Carolina,
three from Alabama and one from Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi
and Virgin