The significance of the 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, is profound in the context of civil rights in the United States. It prohibits the federal and state governments from denying the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." This amendment was a crucial step in the Reconstruction era efforts to ensure suffrage for African American men following the Civil War. Although its implementation faced significant obstacles, including discriminatory practices like literacy tests and poll taxes, the 15th Amendment laid the foundation for future civil rights advancements and the ongoing struggle for equality in voting.