Black Franchise: The Fifteenth Amendment and the Right to Vote

New Temporary Exhibit open at The Rolland Center for Lincoln Research

At the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research in the Allen County Public Library’s Main downtown location, we’re honoring the historic milestone that was the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. From June 26 through September 29, 2025, visitors can enjoy a celebration of Black male Americans winning the franchise—the right to vote. Fine art lithographs from the popular illustrated magazine Harper’s Weekly will be on display alongside a speech arguing for universal suffrage, a photograph of Frederick Douglass beside his signature, and depictions of Columbia, a female figure as the personification of liberty.

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