There are several ways in which nationalism, imperialism, and militarism helped set the stage for World War I, but it general it made each European country feel that it was superior to the others.
The 15th Amendment to the Constitution granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
I think it is political and corporate corruption