What was the "grandfather clause"?
A) Written in response to several events marked by racial discrimination, it stated that segregation and voter suppression were against the law and that offenders of all generations would be fined.
B) Added to many southern states' constitutions, it allowed illiterate whites to vote if their fathers or grandfathers had been eligible to vote on January 1, 1867, when blacks were still disenfranchised.
C) Created as part of the Jim Crow laws, it placed men and women back into traditional slavery if they were convicted of a felony and their fathers or grandfathers had been a slave.
D) Introduced as part of the Mississippi Plan, it granted the right to vote to black men if they could prove that their fathers or grandfathers had been white.
E) Proposed as part of the federal government's Reconstruction efforts, it afforded protections for elderly African Americans who were unable to make a living as tenant farmers.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The "grandfather clause" was added to many southern states' constitutions and allowed illiterate whites to vote if their fathers or grandfathers had been eligible to vote on January 1, 1867, when blacks were still disenfranchised. This was done to ensure that poor and illiterate white voters could still participate in elections while excluding black voters.

What Was the "Grandfather Clause