▁all ▁citizens ▁regardless ▁of ▁race ▁or ▁sex . ▁Prior ity ▁had ▁become ▁an ▁issue : ▁should ▁universal ▁suff rage ▁be ▁the ▁immediate ▁goal , ▁or ▁should ▁African ▁American ▁men ▁be ▁enf ranch ised ▁first ? ▁After ▁sla very ▁was ▁abol ished ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 5 , ▁the ▁American ▁Anti - S la very ▁Society ▁declared ▁that ▁its ▁work ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁finished ▁until ▁African ▁Americans ▁were ▁also ▁guaranteed ▁political ▁equality . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁NE WS A ' s ▁found ing , ▁hope ▁for ▁ful fill ment ▁of ▁that ▁goal ▁was ▁emb od ied ▁in ▁a ▁proposed ▁Fif teenth ▁Am end ment ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Constitution ▁that ▁would ▁prohib it ▁the ▁den ial ▁of ▁suff rage ▁because ▁of ▁race . ▁ ▁Because ▁it ▁would ▁not ▁also ▁prohib it ▁the ▁den ial ▁of ▁suff rage ▁because ▁of ▁sex , ▁however , ▁it ▁became ▁a ▁foc al ▁point ▁for ▁disc ord ▁within ▁the ▁women ' s ▁movement . ▁ ▁Some ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁women ' s ▁movement , ▁such ▁as ▁Abb y ▁K elle y ▁F oster , ▁supported ▁the ▁am end ment ▁because ▁they ▁believed ▁that ▁suff rage ▁for ▁African ▁American ▁males ▁was ▁a ▁more ▁pressing ▁need ▁than ▁suff rage ▁for ▁women . ▁O thers , ▁such ▁as ▁Susan ▁B . ▁Anthony ▁and ▁Elizabeth ▁C ady ▁St anton , ▁opposed ▁any ▁am end ment ▁that ▁would ▁in ▁effect ▁enf ranch ise ▁all ▁men ▁while ▁ex cluding ▁all ▁women , ▁bel ieving