Which of the following groups gained more political participation when amendments were added to the Constitution?
Asian Americans
Native Americans
Hispanic Americans
African Americans
African Americans gained more political participation when amendments were added to the Constitution, particularly through the 15th and the 24th Amendments.
1. **15th Amendment (1870)**: This amendment prohibited governments from denying U.S. citizens the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It was intended to grant African American men the right to vote. However, it would take almost another century before the actual practice of voter suppression was effectively challenged through subsequent legislation like the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
2. **24th Amendment (1964)**: This amendment eliminated the poll tax, which was a barrier to voting for many African Americans, as well as poor whites, in some states. Poll taxes were a part of the Jim Crow laws used to prevent African Americans from exercising their voting rights.
The other groups mentioned – Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanic Americans – also saw increases in political participation over time, but this was through a combination of legislative acts, Supreme Court decisions, and amendments that weren't exclusively targeted at any one of these groups:
- **Asian Americans**: Faced exclusionary laws in the 19th and early 20th centuries but gained greater rights and participation, particularly after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 removed racial barriers to immigration and citizenship.
- **Native Americans**: Were granted U.S. citizenship and the right to vote by the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924; however, it was not until 1948 that Native Americans gained the legal guarantee to exercise their right to vote in all states after legal battles like Trujillo v. Garley in New Mexico.
- **Hispanic Americans**: Have been citizens if born in the territory of the U.S. (including territories acquired where Hispanic people were already living, like in the case of the Southwest post the Mexican-American War). Still, many faced discrimination and barriers to full political participation. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its expansions also served to protect Hispanic Americans and ensure their right to vote.