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Details how a citizen of one state is not allowed to sue the government of another state in federal court unless the state consents to be sued.
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Changes how the President and VP are elected. The Presidential candidate and their chosen VP candidate are now on one ballot together rather than the runner-up President-elect becoming the VP.
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The Temperance Movement was an organized effort to get alcohol banned in the United States. There were several reasons behind this; it was believed alcohol was the main culprit for society's ills and unpatriotic citizenship, causing immorality and crime rates to rise. Practical health considerations were also a factor for banning alcohol. -
A group of abolitionists gather in Seneca Falls, New York to discuss the issue of women's rights. It was agreed that women were their own individuals who should be given their own political identities and voices. -
President Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation which ended slavery in "States in rebellion," or the Southern States. This did not, however, end slavery in all States. -
Formally abolished forced slavery and involuntary servitude (except as a punishment for a criminal offense).
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Fredrick Douglas spoke out about the idea that if people of color fought their part in our wars, they should be granted the right to vote. -
After losing the Civil War, several Southern States decided to implement laws in order to restrict the rights of people of color and effectively stripping them of their citizenship rights. -
The Federal Government defines what a citizen is (prior to this, each State had its own definition of what a citizen is).
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Gave US citizens the right to vote regardless of race, skin color, or former slave status.
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Details the US Government's right to institute an income tax.
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Changes the Senator election process from the state legislatures to popular voting of the people from each respective state.
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Banned the production and selling of "intoxicating liquors" (alcohol).
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Gave female US citizens the right to vote.
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The 18th Amendment proved to be very difficult to enforce and practically caused the opposite of the original intended result. Crime rates rose as bootlegging alcohol was a profitable business -
Senator George Norris of Nebraska proposed a change in the inauguration process and Congress's start date so that there is less "lame duck President" time. -
Eleven States instituted a voting tax on citizens, namely for the purpose of preventing people of color the ability to vote in elections. The arguement justifying the action was that the tax help funds the government, though some people at the time were more open about the real reason it was set in place. -
Changed the President-elect inauguration from March to January (along with Congress) to prevent a "lame duck" President (a President that can't really do much in office).
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Repeals the 18th Amendment; State laws concerning alcohol are allowed to remain.
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Franklin D. Roosevelt wins the 1940 election and serves in office for a third term. There was an unofficial understanding at the time that an individual should only serve for two terms, but no official law enforcing this idea. In 1944, candidate Thomas Dewey spoke about how FDR serving a potential fourth term would be a threat to our democracy. -
Limits the number of terms served by a President-elect to 2 terms or 10 full years. If someone has already served over two years of someone else's term, they can only be elected for 1 term. This amendment did not affect the then current President-elect of the time in order to prevent accusations of trying to kick them from office.
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Gave citizens residing in Washington D.C. the right to vote for a President and Vice President-elect.
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Details how a citizen can not be denied the right to vote due to not paying a poll tax nor any other type of tax.
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Establishes a line of succession for if the current President-elect is removed from office.
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A draft held in order to support the Vietnam War effort called men aged 18 to 21 to serve in the military. Many people thought it was unfair that these young men had no say in their government even though they were old enough to be drafted into the military. A common slogan at the time in support of this notion was, "old enough to fight, old enough to vote." -
Gave citizens 18 and older the right to vote.
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Prohibits any law regarding salary changes to Congress members until the beginning of the next set of terms for Representatives.