Omar Bennett
The original U.S. Constitution did not explicitly protect the right to vote, leaving the issue to the states. For much of American history, this right was granted to some but denied to others. Since then, four amendments have been adopted to expand the right to vote to previously excluded citizens. These are the 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th Amendments, which respectively granted African American men, women, and 18-year-olds the right to vote, and eliminated poll taxes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| 15th Amendment | Gave African American men the right to vote in 1870 |
| 19th Amendment | Gave women the right to vote in 1920 |
| 24th Amendment | Eliminated poll taxes in 1964 |
| 26th Amendment | Lowered the voting age to 18 in 1971 |
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What You'll Learn
The 15th Amendment (1870) gave African American men the right to vote
The 15th Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified on February 3, 1870, granted African American men the right to vote. The amendment was the culmination of a series of legislative actions that expanded civil rights for African Americans following the Civil War. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, and the 14th Amendment guaranteed citizenship for African Americans. However, despite the significance of the 15th Amendment, many African American men were still unable to exercise their right to vote due to various barriers erected by some states, including literacy tests and "grandfather clauses".
The 15th Amendment was a significant milestone in the struggle for racial equality and voting rights in the United States. It stated that "the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude". This amendment explicitly prohibited the denial of voting rights based on race or colour, as well as addressing the specific issue of disenfranchisement due to prior enslavement.
The path to securing voting rights for African Americans was not without challenges. Despite the legal protections afforded by the 15th Amendment, discriminatory voting practices persisted in many Southern states. President Lyndon B. Johnson acknowledged this issue in 1965, urging Congress to pass legislation that would uphold the principles of the 15th Amendment and ensure government "of and by all the people". This led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which aimed to abolish remaining deterrents to voting and authorized federal supervision of voter registration where necessary.
While the 15th Amendment was a crucial step forward, it is important to recognize that it did not immediately or completely eradicate voting discrimination against African Americans. The interpretation of the amendment's protections was influenced by Supreme Court decisions, such as United States v. Reese in 1876, which determined that the amendment prohibited the restriction of voting rights based on race but did not affirmatively grant the right to vote. This interpretation contributed to the rise of ""Jim Crow" laws in the South, which perpetuated segregation and restricted African Americans' political power.
The struggle for full participation in American public and civic life continued for African Americans well into the 20th century. Organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Urban League emerged to secure the rights and improve the position of African Americans facing discrimination. Despite these efforts, it was not until more than a century after the passage of the 15th Amendment that African Americans began to fully participate in the civic life of the nation.
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The 19th Amendment (1920) gave women the right to vote
The 19th Amendment, passed on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, granted women the right to vote. The road to achieving this milestone was long and challenging, requiring decades of agitation and protest by women's suffrage supporters. The amendment was first introduced to Congress in 1878, and it finally received certification 42 years later.
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." This amendment legally guarantees American women the right to vote and prohibits the U.S. and states from denying the right to vote based on sex.
The campaign for women's suffrage was a difficult and protracted struggle. Supporters of women's suffrage employed various strategies to achieve their goal. Some pursued a strategy of passing suffrage acts in individual states, while others challenged male-only voting laws in court. Suffragists also utilized more confrontational tactics such as picketing, silent vigils, and hunger strikes. They faced fierce resistance, with opponents resorting to heckling, imprisonment, and even physical abuse.
Despite the 19th Amendment's ratification, it did not ensure universal suffrage for all women. While white women immediately benefited from the amendment, women of colour, including Black, Native American, Asian American, and Latina women, continued to face discrimination and voter suppression due to systemic racism. It would take several more decades and the passage of additional legislation, such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to protect the voting rights of women from racial and ethnic minorities fully.
The 19th Amendment was a significant step forward in recognising the voting rights of women in the United States, but the fight for equal voting rights continued for minority groups even after its ratification.
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The 24th Amendment (1964) eliminated poll taxes
The 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1964, eliminated poll taxes as a requirement for voting in federal elections. The amendment states that citizens' right to vote in elections for President, Vice President, or for members of Congress shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state due to the failure to pay any poll tax or other tax. This amendment was a significant step towards protecting voting rights and ensuring that all citizens, regardless of their economic status, have the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.
The history of poll taxes in the United States dates back centuries, with governments using them as a method of taxation and, later, as a voting prerequisite. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several Southern states adopted poll taxes in their laws and constitutions, often with the explicit purpose of preventing African Americans and poor whites from voting. This suppression of the Black American vote persisted until the peak of the Civil Rights Movement in 1962, when Congress proposed the 24th Amendment.
The 24th Amendment was enacted to address the issue of poll taxes being used as a barrier to voting. It was passed by Congress on August 27, 1962, and ratified by the states on January 23, 1964. The amendment specifically prohibits both Congress and the states from requiring the payment of a poll tax or any other tax as a condition for voting in federal elections. This marked a shift in the landscape of voting rights, as it overruled the Supreme Court's decision in Breedlove v. Suttles (1937), which had upheld the constitutionality of poll taxes.
The ratification of the 24th Amendment was relatively quick, taking just over a year to be approved by state legislatures across the country. However, some states that had maintained the poll tax, such as Mississippi, were more reserved about the change. Despite this opposition, the amendment was widely celebrated as a "triumph of liberty over restriction" and a victory for people's rights. Arkansas was the only state out of the five originally affected by the amendment to fully repeal its poll tax in the same year, with the other four retaining their taxes.
The 24th Amendment was a crucial step towards ensuring that all citizens, regardless of race or economic status, had the right to vote in federal elections. While it only applied to federal elections, subsequent legislation, such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965, further strengthened voting rights and prohibited voter discrimination based on race or colour. These amendments and federal laws have played a significant role in protecting Americans' right to vote and making it more accessible to all eligible citizens.
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The 26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age to 18
The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified on July 1, 1971, lowered the voting age to 18 years for all Americans, for all elections. The official text of the amendment is as follows: "The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age".
The drive to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 had been building for some time. The earliest calls for this change emerged in the 1940s, with Congressional proposals being endorsed by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. However, it was the Vietnam War that truly catalysed the movement to lower the voting age. Young men aged 18 to 21 were being conscripted to fight in a conflict that they had no political authority to vote on. This discrepancy gave rise to the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote", which became a rallying cry for youth voting rights activists.
The youth rights movement gained momentum in the 1960s, driven by increasing high school graduation rates, greater access to political information through new technologies, and the active participation of young people in the civil rights movement and other social and political campaigns. In 1968, Johnson proposed an immediate national grant of the right to vote to 18-year-olds. In 1970, congressional allies included a provision for 18-year-olds to vote in a bill that extended the Voting Rights Act. However, this was challenged in the Supreme Court case of Oregon v. Mitchell, which ruled that Congress could not lower the voting age for state and local elections.
In response, Congress proposed the 26th Amendment, which was ratified by three-quarters of state legislatures (38 states) in just over two months. The speed of its ratification demonstrates the strength of public sentiment in favour of lowering the voting age. Despite this, about 17 states refused to pass measures to lower their minimum voting ages, and the amendment has faced legal challenges in the decades since its ratification. Nevertheless, the 26th Amendment has had a significant impact on youth voter turnout, with unprecedented levels of youth participation in recent elections.
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The 14th Amendment (1868) identified voters as male
The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, was significant in the context of voting rights as it affirmed the rights of freed women and men after the Civil War. It stated that everyone born in the United States, including former slaves, was an American citizen with guaranteed rights to "life, liberty, and property." Notably, this amendment also introduced the first explicit mention of gender into the Constitution, specifying that all male citizens over the age of twenty-one had the right to vote.
Prior to the 14th Amendment, voting rights were primarily restricted to men by state laws. The inclusion of the word "male" in the amendment was a point of contention, with women's rights activists like Elizabeth Cady Stanton arguing that it would take a century or more to achieve voting rights for women if this language was adopted. Stanton's prediction proved accurate, as it would take over half a century for women to gain the right to vote with the 19th Amendment in 1920.
The 14th Amendment's reference to male citizens over twenty-one was a compromise between competing interests and ideals. While it fell short of guaranteeing universal suffrage, it represented a significant step forward in the struggle for equality and civil rights. By granting citizenship and voting rights to African American men, the amendment signified the fulfillment of promises made during Reconstruction after the Civil War.
The impact of the 14th Amendment extended beyond the immediate expansion of voting rights. It established a framework for legal protections against discrimination and empowered activists working towards inclusive democracy. The amendment's recognition of citizenship and civil rights laid the groundwork for subsequent amendments, like the 15th Amendment, which explicitly addressed voting rights for African American men, and the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed voting rights for women.
The 14th Amendment's legacy is also evident in the ongoing efforts to ensure voting accessibility and fairness. While the amendment itself focused on male voters, it contributed to a broader democratic project that values participation and representation. This has influenced the enactment of laws and policies that remove barriers to voting, such as literacy tests and poll taxes, and promote equal access to the polls, including for the elderly, people with disabilities, and language minority groups.
In conclusion, while the 14th Amendment's identification of voters as male may seem at odds with democratic ideals, it represented a pivotal moment in the expansion of voting rights in the United States. It empowered previously marginalized groups, set a legal precedent for equality, and catalyzed a long-term struggle for universal suffrage that continues to shape American democracy.
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Frequently asked questions
The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race, colour, or "previous condition of servitude".
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on sex.
The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, eliminated poll taxes, which were used in some states to disenfranchise African Americans.
The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the minimum voting age in all elections from 21 to 18.
