text: why were there 4000 colored voters in 1848 in buffalo, new york.  slavery was not abolished, no 15th amendment i found a mention of this in the "north star" and am kinda surprised that i have not heard of this voting population before. it's because they were all free americans in new york. it was the south and the plantation owners that wouldn't let go of the slaves. this what lead to the civil war, and it was the african american input to the vote. republicans would say this is false and a lie, but it is, they that tell lies.