Ticket to the Celebration in Honor of the Ratification of the 15th Amendment, Washington, D.C., 1870
Courtesy of Elizabeth Meaders
The First Step to Freedom: The Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation
Be sure to visit the NYSM from February 11 to March 1, 2020, to view an original draft of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation written in Lincoln’s own hand.
Activity 4
On February 3, 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting African American men the right to vote. Despite this Constitutional victory, many states maintained strict voter-eligibility laws, including literacy tests and poll taxes. In reality, African American men and women would not freely exercise their right to vote until Voting Rights Act of 1965.
(Click on image below to view full screen.)
Engaging Question: What information can an object provide about the people, events, or time period in which it was made?
Using Artifact Analysis, the graphic organizer created by the New York State Archives, have students document the physical qualities and original purpose of the ticket. Students will then analyze the object to answer the question, “What information can an object provide about the people, events, or time period when it was made?"
Graphic Organizer: Artifact Analysis (80.42 KB)
The New York State Museum is a program of the University of the State of New York
New York State Education Department