What were the various means used to deprive African Americans of their right to vote during the late 1800s?

There were several ways that African Americans were denied
the right to vote in the late 1800’s.  After the 15th Amendment was passed in 1867, no
one could be denied the right to vote on the basis of race.  In the late 1800’s, other
laws were passed to try to keep African Americans from voting.  First, there were poll
taxes. These were taxes that had to be paid in order to vote. Since African Americans
were the poorest group in the south, this kept many African Americans from voting. 
There were also literacy tests. A person would have to pass a test to prove he could
read and write in order to vote. Since African Americans were the least educated group
in the south, this kept many African Americans from voting. Many times these tests were
rigged to make sure African Americans would fail.  To allow poor, illiterate white
people to vote, grandfather clauses were passed which said that any person whose father
or grandfather could vote before 1867 did not have to pay the poll tax or take the
literacy test. White men could vote before 1867, so their descendants did not have to
pay the tax or take the test.  African Americans were not allowed to vote before 1867 so
their descendants had to pay the tax and take the test.  Finally, even if African
Americans could pay the tax and pass the test, there were groups such as the Ku Klux
Klan that used violence and the threat of violence to keep African Americans from
voting.