Voting Timeline

  • 1776 North Carolina Constitution

    1776 North Carolina Constitution
    The 1776 North Carolina Constitution grants many rights to North Carolinians and it is theofficial constitution of NC. The Constitution opens with a Declaration of Rights, with twenty-five guarantees of personal freedom that go along with the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution and many that are present in similar form in the current state constitution. This constitution overall changed the lives of North Carolinians and gives us our natural born rights that can not be taken away.
  • Seneca Falls Convention

    Seneca Falls Convention
    This convention was held in New York and the convention fought for the social, civil and religious rights of women. Out of that first convention, the “Declaration of Sentiments” was created which demanded equal social status and legal rights for women, including the right to vote. This was a turning point in history because it led to many other women's rights conventions, as well as women gaining more respect, and getting their right to vote, and gain custody of children in a divorce.
  • Passage of the 15th Amendment

    Passage of the 15th Amendment
    This amendment prohibits the federal government from denying any citizen the right to vote for reasons such as their gender, color, or race. During the time of Reconstruction, some Southern states still found ways to discriminate against former slaves and limit voting to white men only. The significance of this amendment is basically that it allowed former slaves and other different races that were once discriminated to come together and elect people to represent them as one.
  • Jim Crow Laws

    Jim Crow Laws
    The Jim Crow Laws include the physical segregation of public schools, public parks, beaches, and public transportation. It was also during this time that drinking fountains, restrooms, and restaurants were segregated, requiring “blacks” to use separate facilities. These laws were made by the Democratic Party and it separated blacks from the white population. This was th beginning of blacks being restrained from our democracy and it is when people began to stand up for the rights of Blacks.
  • Passage of the 17th Amendment

    Passage of the 17th Amendment
    The 17th Amendment gives voters the power to directly elect their senators. It also says that the U.S. Senate has two senators from each state, and that each senator has one vote in the Senate. Senators are elected for six-year terms. The 17th amendment is important because it actually broke the United States Government and it also separated the balance of power between the federal government and the state governments by having the direct election of Senators.
  • Passage of the 19th Amendment

    Passage of the 19th Amendment
    This amendment granted women the right to vote. The women's suffrage movement led to the passage of this amendment and women continued to constantly fight for this right. The significance of this event is that it led to all women being able to vote and it made the voting system more equal. Wyoming was the first state to allow women to vote. The national suffrage movement also helped to push this amendment to be passed.
  • Indian Citizenship Act

    Indian Citizenship Act
    Congress took the final step on June 2, 1924 and granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States. President Calvin Coolidge with four Osage Indians after Coolidge signed the bill granting Indians the right to full citizenship of America. Before the civil war started, Indians were denied their citizenship and weren't noticed by the government. The significance of this event is that it gave native Americans recognition in the law and the right to vote.
  • Passage of the 23rd Amendment

    Passage of the 23rd Amendment
    The 23rd amendment gives people that are residents of Washington DC the right to vote for representatives in the Electoral College. The electoral college is responsible for electing our presidents after votes have been casted out. Today, DC sends a delegate to Congress who speaks on behalf of people that live in DC, but that delegate may not vote. This amendment changed how some districts like DC are viewed and it also changed the ways of the electoral college. It has a lasting effect on DC.
  • Passage of the 24th Amendment

    Passage of the 24th Amendment
    The 24th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America abolished the poll tax for all federal elections. Congress suggested that poll taxes could be outlawed under the 14th Amendment, which abolished slavery by giving equal rights to all men, or the 15th Amendment. it was decided that drafting an amendment that made poll taxes illegal would be a stronger statement and have better effects. Overall, this allowed for a democracy to grow stronger.
  • Voting Rights Act of 1965

    Voting Rights Act of 1965
    It’s goal was to get rid of legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from having their right to vote as guaranteed under the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.The significance of this event is that it brought jobs and services for the black community, and encouraged greater social equality and decreased the wealth and education gap. It also allowed for African Americans to be granted their right to vote and exercise the doing of.
  • Passage of the 26th Amendment

    Passage of the 26th Amendment
    This amendment lowered the voting age across America from 21 to 18 years of age. It was done by Franklin Roosevelt.It was one of the biggest accomplishments of the protest movement in America. It did not take long to ratify at all and it gained a lot of support because of draftees being 21 years of age. The significance of this event is that it voiced the opinion of people being able to fight so they should be able to vote in this political process and it allowed younger people to vote also.