After the Civil War, former Confederates in West Virginia couldn’t vote, and Black voting rights were uncertain. In 1871, the Flick Amendment—named after politician William H. H. Flick—was passed to give voting rights to both groups, even though the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution had already given Blacks the right to vote. The Flick Amendment was supported by Liberal Republicans trying to weaken the growing Democratic Party. However, instead of uniting Republicans, the amendment helped Democrats gain power, leading to their control of state politics for the next 25 years.