What were "grandfather clauses"?

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Grandfather clauses were a way to restrict voting rights to white people while avoiding violating the 15th Amendment, which granted voting rights to African American men. These clauses stated that someone could only vote if their father or grandfather had been eligible to vote before a certain date, usually January 1, 1867, when African American men were granted the right to vote. This excluded most African Americans, as their grandfathers either were not eligible to vote, or had not been citizens at that time.

What Were "Grandfather Clauses