History of Voting in the United States

By Smoo

  • 1776 North Carolina Constitution

    This gave rights to vote to all freemen, age 21 or older, lived in the state a year before election, pay taxes and have to own 50 acres of land 6 months before. This was reformation after bringing the US together after the south lost the civil war. This is significant because it established stronger white supremacy. Created Jim Crow laws to keep blacks under. Re creating poll taxes, literacy test and grandfather clauses. This was done without trying to violating the equal protection clause.

  • Seneca Falls Convention

    This convention was the first woman's rights convention in the United States. The declaration of sentiments was drafted for women's rights and suffrage. This is significant because it was modeled after the Declaration of Independence. It describes all of the unfairness that the women got through and how they should have rights to property and education. This is significant because it influences the right to vote for women. So that means it influences the 19th amendment. (July 19th and 20th)

  • The Fifteenth Amendment

    This amendment allowed African Americans and other ethnics to vote. It also gave congress the power to do what they need to to enforce this law as well. The significance of this amendment is it stops people from discriminating who can vote because of their race. This was ratified after the civil war in effort to reconstruct. This also gave rights to minorities. Later they also cut out the literary tests for voters because that was unfair.

  • The 17rd Amendment

    This was passed because people were accusing others messing up and manipulating the elections. The two houses were having a disagreement. This is significant because it solved the problem of the accusations. Also the Senate is equal to the House of representatives. The senators are now elected by the people. This put the senate rules and regulation in order.

  • The 19th Amendment

    This amendment allowed women to vote and not be discriminated against because of their sex. It also gave congress the power to carry this amendment out. This amendment is significant because it allows females to vote. It started the beginning of new opportunities to women. It allowed women to do jury duty but they can be excused. Lastly it paved the way for young women like me to be able to vote and have opportunities like any other male.

  • Indian Citizenship Act

    The Indian Citizenship Act was the United States giving the Native Americans who were born in territorial limits of the country citizenship. This was often regulated by states so some were denied the rights to vote. This is significant because it allowed people who were born here to become citizens. There were so many restrictions like you have to be related to someone halfway. Another one was that you had to be married to a veteran. So over all this act is expanding citizenship limits.

  • The 23th Amendment

    This amendment gave congress the power to select where the official federal government should be. The area is federal so it does not have s governor or voting rights but it does have responsibilities of citizenship. This is significant because it gave DC the right to vote. It gave DC a delegate in the house but is non voting. They now hove a local government. Congress chose Washington DC as the official federal government.

  • The 24th Amendment

    This destroys poll taxes. Also allowing congress to enforce this amendment. This is significant because by not having poll taxes it eliminates a barrier keeping Blacks from voting. While doing this it also allowed states to come up with new ways of stopping the African Americans from voting. The poll taxes were later ruled unconstitutional. Lastly the amendment was made stronger allowing an African Americans to not have proof and just tell their story on how they were discriminated against.

  • Voting Rights Act of 1965

    This act allows the attorney general to enforce the 24th amendment. This act piggybacked on the amendment. This is significant because it abolished literacy tests. It gave the attorney general special jurisdiction concerning new voting practices. It also gave them jurisdiction over voting procedures.

  • The 26th Amendment

    The 26th amendment set the qualifications for voters. This amendment says that you have to be 18 to vote. This is for the whole United States. The significance of this amendment is that it allowed the youth to have a say in who they think should lead their country. This was a result in the draft during the Vietnam War. This allowed the voting age to lower. How many young people vote.