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The issue of voting rights in the United States has been contentious over the country's history. There have been several similar, but somewhat separate movements to extend voting rights to groups of people who had been disenfranchised through a variety of legal (and sometimes extra-legal) means. At least five of the fifteen post-Civil War amendments were ratified specifically to extend voting rights to different groups of citizens, not including the seventeenth amendment which provided for the direct election of United States Senators. Each extension of voting rights has been a product of, and also brought about, social change. Image File history File links Information. ...
“American history†redirects here. ...
Voting rights refers to the right of a person to vote in an election. ...
Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...
Amendment XV in the National Archives 1870 celebration of the 15th amendment as a guarantee of African American rights 1867 drawing depicting the first vote by African Americans Amendment XV (the Fifteenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution provides that governments in the United States may not prevent a citizen...
Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Politics Portal The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the...
National milestones of franchise extension
- Landless white men: 1856
- Non-white men: 1870
- Women: 1920
- Native Americans: 1924
- Adults between 18 and 21: 1971
Movements
African Americans - See also: Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- See also: Disfranchisement after the Civil War
The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, one of three adopted in response to the American Civil War, prevented any state from denying the right to vote to any male citizen twenty-one years old or older on account of his race. Particularly in the South, however, many practical barriers were erected to this becoming a reality. Most abused was the literacy test. The ability to read and write the English language was not banned as a basis for determining voter eligibility by this amendment and blacks were often denied the right to vote on this basis. Even literate blacks were often told they had "failed" such a test, if in fact, it had even actually been administered. On the other hand, illiterate whites were often allowed to vote through a "Grandfather clause" which waived literacy requirements if one's grandfather had been a qualified voter, which for most blacks in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War was an impossibility. Selective enforcement of the poll tax was frequently also used to disqualify black voters, a fact which led to the eventual adoption of the Twenty-fourth Amendment. Intimidation tactics were employed to bar blacks from voting as well, such as "night rides" by the Ku Klux Klan. Economic tactics such as eviction from rental housing or termination of employment were also used . Such practices did not fully end until the American Civil Rights Movement scored one of its greatest triumphs when it encouraged the passage by the United States Congress of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Amendment XV in the National Archives 1870 celebration of the 15th amendment as a guarantee of African American rights 1867 drawing depicting the first vote by African Americans Amendment XV (the Fifteenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution provides that governments in the United States may not prevent a citizen...
The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, adopted in 1870 in response to the American Civil War, prevented any state from denying the right to vote to any male citizen twenty-one years old or older on account of his race. ...
Amendment XV in the National Archives 1870 celebration of the 15th amendment as a guarantee of African American rights 1867 drawing depicting the first vote by African Americans Amendment XV (the Fifteenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution provides that governments in the United States may not prevent a citizen...
Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...
The word citizen may refer to: A person with a citizenship Citizen Watch Co. ...
The U.S. Southern states or the South, also known colloquially as Dixie, constitute a distinctive region covering a large portion of the United States, with its own unique heritage, historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ...
A Voting test is a test designed to determine ones ability to read and write a given language. ...
The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...
African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ...
This article does not cite its references or sources. ...
A grandfather clause is an exception that allows an old rule to continue to apply to some existing situations, when a new rule will apply to all future situations. ...
A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a tax of a uniform, fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income). ...
Amendment XXIV in the National Archives Amendment XXIV (the Twenty-fourth Amendment) of the United States Constitution prohibits both Congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other types of tax. ...
Members of the second Ku Klux Klan at a rally during the 1920s. ...
The civil rights movement in the United States has been a long, primarily nonviolent struggle to bring full civil rights and equality under the law to all citizens of United States. ...
Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political...
The National Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. § 1973-1973aa-6)[1] outlawed the requirement that would-be voters in the United States take literacy tests to qualify to register to vote, and it provided for federal registration of voters in areas that had less than 50...
Women - See also: Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
A parallel, yet separate, movement was that for women's suffrage. In some ways this, too, could be said to have grown out of the American Civil War, as women were some of the most visible leaders in the Abolition movement. This led to more political activism on the part of middle and upper class women generally. Another political movement that was largely driven by women in the same era was the anti-alcohol Temperance movement, which eventually led to the Eighteenth Amendment and Prohibition. Outstanding leaders of the suffrage movement included Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Wyoming became the first state to allow women to vote on the same basis as men, but the issue was left to the states until the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which became effective in time to allow the voting by women nationally in the Presidential election of August 18,1920. Amendment XIX in the National Archives Amendment XIX (the Nineteenth Amendment) allowed women the right to vote under official constitutional protection. ...
The term womens suffrage refers to an economic and political reform movement aimed at extending suffrage — the right to vote — to women. ...
Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...
Abolition is the act of formally destroying something through legal means, either by making it illegal, or simply no longer allowing it to exist in any form. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
A cartoon from Australia ca. ...
Amendment XVIII in the National Archives Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol. ...
The term Prohibition, also known as A Dry Law, refers to a law in a certain country by which the manufacture, transportation, import, export, and sale of alcoholic beverages is restricted or illegal. ...
Susan Brownell Anthony (February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was a prominent, independent and well-educated American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century womens rights movement to secure womens suffrage in the United States. ...
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (November 12, 1815 – October 26, 1902) was an American social activist and leading figure of the early womens rights movement. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area Ranked 10th - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 km²) - Width 280 miles (450 km) - Length 360 miles (580 km) - % water 0. ...
Amendment XIX in the National Archives Amendment XIX (the Nineteenth Amendment) allowed women the right to vote under official constitutional protection. ...
For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ...
Young people - See also: Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution
A third voting rights movement was the movement in the 1960s to require the voting age to be lowered to eighteen from twenty-one. This movement was given far greater impetus by the Vietnam War, as it was noted that most of the young men who were being drafted to fight in it were too young to have any voice in the selection of the leaders who were sending them to fight. This, too, had previously been a state issue, as several states, notably Georgia, Kentucky, and Hawaii, had already allowed voting at a younger age than twenty-one. The Twenty-sixth Amendment required all states to set their voting age at no higher than eighteen (as of 2006 no state has opted for an earlier age, although some have discussed it). Amendment XXVI (the Twenty-sixth Amendment) of the United States Constitution was ratified on July 1, 1971. ...
The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ...
Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...
“Conscript†redirects here. ...
Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area Ranked 37th - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²) - Width 140 miles (225 km) - Length 379 miles (610 km) - % water 1. ...
Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area Ranked 43rd - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 km²) - Width n/a miles (n/a km) - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km) - % water 41. ...
Amendment XXVI (the Twenty-sixth Amendment) of the United States Constitution was ratified on July 1, 1971. ...
2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Voting rights today The most important concerns for lack of voting rights in the United States today are with regard to the continuing lack of voting rights in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., where over half a million citizen-residents still have neither effective local control nor representation in the U.S. House or Senate; with regard to voting rights (or accessibility) for those who are disabled; and with regard to voting rights for those whose primary language is not English. Federal legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA, or "Motor-Voter Act") and the Help America Vote Act of 2001 (HAVA) address some of these concerns of the disabled and non-English speaking. The Twenty-third Amendment gave the District of Columbia three electors and hence the right to vote for President. In 1978, Congress sent to the states for ratification another constitutional amendment which would have allowed the District representation in the Congress as well, but this proposed amendment had a seven-year time limit in which to be ratified and failed to receive the assent of the necessary three-quarters of the states by 1985. Since that time, Congress has consistently refused to pass along to the states for ratification another constitutional amendment which would give District of Columbia residents either representation in both the Senate and the House as if the District were a state or, as has also been proposed, voting representation in the House only. Additionally, Congress has continued to use its Constitutionally-granted jurisidiction over the District "in all cases whatsoever" to countermand the expressed will of District voters through local officials they have elected. For this reason, many Washington residents call their city "The Last Colony", the home of "taxation without representation". For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ...
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is the short title of United States Public Law 101-336, 104 Stat. ...
The National Voter Registration Act of 1993, commonly known as Motor Voter, was signed into effect by President Clinton on May 20, 1993. ...
Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...
Amendment XXIII in the National Archives Amendment XXIII was the twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution which permits the District of Columbia to choose Electors for President and Vice President. ...
The United States Electoral College is the electoral college that chooses the President and Vice President of the United States at the conclusion of each Presidential election. ...
For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ...
Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ...
Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political...
Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ...
Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Politics Portal The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral United States Congress, the...
The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. ...
Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas Politics Portal A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Bibliography - Alexander Keyssar, The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States (New York: Basic Books, 2000). ISBN 0-465-02968-X
External links - Right to Vote Initiative - resources page at FairVote, regarding effort to enshrine an explicit right to vote and the U.S. Constitution
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