abolitionists 
Opponents of slavery who wished to put an end to the institution.
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grandfather clause Provisions of laws passed in the South after the Civil War stating that citizens could vote only if their grandfathers had been allowed to vote. The law made it impossible for African Americans to vote because their grandfathers had been excluded from voting.
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literacy test A test to prove a person's abilities to read
and write. Until 1964, such tests were used in various states to prevent minorities from voting.
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poll tax A tax that voters in many states were required to
pay in order to exercise their right to vote. These barriers were used until 1964 to prevent African Americans from voting.
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secession In U.S. history, the act of states leaving the Union in 1861 following the election of President
Abraham Lincoln; precipitated the Civil War.
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