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America Declares Independance from Britain
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Rattification of the Constitution
The constitution left it up to the states to decide who could vote. The way that citizens were ratified varied from state to state, so many of the first voting battles took place in the states. Evenually, voting was only franchised to white men who owned property. -
All states granted voting rights to white men.
All white men, whether you had a certain ammount of property or not, were granted the right to vote. Rhode Island was the only state after 1840 to not allow voting rights to all white men, and later gave the right to vote to all white men in 1880. -
Wyoming Franchises
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African Americans Earned Voting Rights
The 15th Ammendment granted Affrcan Americans the right to vote. Some states made it extremely difficult for African-Americans to be able to vote, though. Some of these obstacles included literacey tests, paying poll taxes, the grandfather clause, and physical intimidation and threats. -
Dawes Act
The Dawes Act granted citizenship to Native Americans who were willing to give up their previos tribal affiliations. -
Indian Naturalization Act
The Indian Naturalization Act offered indians the opprotunity to become citizens in a process that was similar to that of immigrant naturalization. -
1/2 the States have Enfranchised Women
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19th Ammendmant Passed
After a national campaign for women's rights, congress passed the 19th ammendment. It forbif the states and country of America from denying the right to vote to a citizen based on gender. Enought states ratified the ammendment, and women were franchised the right to vote. -
Indian Citizenship Act
The Indian Citizenship Act granted citizenship and voting rights to Native Americans who were born in the legal territory of America. Voting was still very difficult for the Native Americans, as they faced obstacles similar to those that African Americans had when they first earned the right to vote, -
24 Ammendment
Forbid states from denying a citizen the right to vote for failure to pay a poll tax or any other tax to vote for elections in national office. -
Civil Rights Movement
The civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's helped to garauntee/protect African-American's rights to vote. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Banned discrimination against all minorities by banning voting requirements (literacy tests, being fluent in he English Language, poll taxes, etc.). -
Voting Rights Act
Congress ammended the voting rights act to say that no one 18 or older could be denied the right to vote. -
26th Ammendment
Ratified in 1971, the 26th Ammendment prohibits the states or the U.S. from denying the right to vote to citizens who are 18 years of age or older.