Black men in Minnesota won the right to vote in 1868, but the debate around black suffrage had already been happening for almost 20 years. When the territorial constitution was written in 1849, suffrage was granted only to white males. The state constitution, written nine years later, also declined to give African Americans the right to vote. After the Civil War, state legislators proposed an amendment granting black suffrage, which was voted down in 1865, 1866 and 1867. It finally passed in 1868, two years before the states ratified the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Most Minnesota History articles are at a higher reading level and are likely most suited for adults.