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Why Did White Use Literacy Tests

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Whites used literacy tests such as those similar to Alabama 's in order to keep as many blacks from registering to vote. Many of the blacks during this time weren’t well educated having the literacy tests with words that they could not understand gave the whites the upper hand. A large part that played into making literacy tests were because of fear. The Whites feared that if blacks were able to exercise their constitutional right to vote they would have the ability to change the government that the whites built. The blacks would be able to voice their own opinion and change laws and regulations such as those implemented for segregation. Literacy tests kept blacks out of voting polls and away from the Jim Crow laws. If blacks were able to vote

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