Isabella Carter
The right to vote in the United States has been expanded and protected by several constitutional amendments. The 15th Amendment, passed in 1870, granted African-American men the right to vote, regardless of their previous slave status. However, discriminatory practices prevented many from exercising this right. The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, gave women the right to vote. The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, eliminated poll taxes, which had been used to disenfranchise African Americans. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibited voter discrimination based on race, colour, or language minority status, and the 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age to 18. These amendments have played a crucial role in shaping voting rights in the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | 15th Amendment |
| Year | 1870 |
| Voting Rights Granted To | African American men |
| Voting Rights Granted By | Congress |
| Voting Rights Enforced By | Congress |
| Voting Rights Protected From | Denial or abridgement by the United States or any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude |
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What You'll Learn
- The 15th Amendment (1870) gave all men the right to vote
- The 19th Amendment (1920) gave women the right to vote
- The 24th Amendment (1964) removed poll taxes
- The 26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age to 18
- The Voting Rights Act (1965) prohibited voter discrimination based on race, colour, or language
The 15th Amendment (1870) gave all men the right to vote
The Fifteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, passed by Congress on February 26, 1869, and ratified on February 3, 1870, granted all male citizens the right to vote, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or previous status as slaves. The official text of the amendment is as follows:
> 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. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
The Fifteenth Amendment was the last of the three Reconstruction Amendments and was seen by former abolitionists and Radical Republicans in Congress as the fulfilment of all promises made to African Americans. The Thirteenth Amendment had set Black males free, and the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed their citizenship. The Fifteenth Amendment, therefore, appeared to complete the trio by giving Black men the right to vote.
However, in reality, the Fifteenth Amendment was only a step in the long struggle for equality, and it would be over a century before African Americans could fully participate in American public and civic life. Many African Americans in the Southern states were unable to exercise their right to vote due to discriminatory practices and laws such as poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and the presence of the Ku Klux Klan. By the 20th century, most African Americans in the South had little to no electoral power.
It wasn't until 1965 that President Lyndon B. Johnson urged Congress to pass legislation to make it impossible to thwart the Fifteenth Amendment, stating:
> We cannot have government for all the people until we first make certain it is a government of and by all the people.
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The 19th Amendment (1920) gave women the right to vote
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1920, was a significant milestone in the long and arduous struggle for women's suffrage in the United States. The amendment 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 guaranteed that women's voting rights could not be denied or restricted by the federal government or any individual state based on gender.
The journey towards achieving this amendment began in the mid-19th century, with the efforts of women's rights organisations and activists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 marked a pivotal moment, advocating for equality between the sexes and urging women to secure their right to vote. Despite these early efforts, it wasn't until 1878 that the first women's suffrage amendment was introduced in Congress.
The campaign for women's suffrage faced numerous challenges and setbacks. While some states, such as Wyoming, Utah, and Washington, granted women the right to vote in the late 19th century, the overall momentum was slow. The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and The American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA), formed in 1869, represented differing strategies and ideologies in the fight for women's voting rights. NWSA, led by Stanton and Anthony, advocated for universal suffrage and opposed the 15th Amendment, which granted Black men the right to vote before white women. On the other hand, AWSA, led by Julia Ward Howe, Lucy Stone, and Henry Brown Blackwell, supported the 15th Amendment and gained popularity by focusing solely on suffrage.
As the movement progressed, suffragists employed various tactics, including lecturing, writing, marching, lobbying, and even civil disobedience. Susan B. Anthony's highly publicised trial for voting in 1872 fuelled the movement, despite her arrest and conviction. The formation of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) in 1890 further bolstered the campaign, with more states granting women the right to vote in the early 20th century.
By 1916, the push for a constitutional amendment united almost all major suffrage organisations. The 1918 Suffrage Bill, supported by President Wilson, passed the House but fell short in the Senate. However, increasing public pressure led to a special session of Congress in 1919, and on June 4, 1919, the amendment was approved by both the House and the Senate. It then required ratification by 36 states to become a Constitutional Amendment, which was achieved on August 18, 1920, with Tennessee being the 36th state.
The 19th Amendment's adoption enfranchised approximately 26 million American women, allowing them to participate in the 1920 U.S. presidential election. However, it is important to note that the amendment did not ensure full enfranchisement for all women, particularly women of colour, who continued to face barriers to voting due to discriminatory state laws and the racially discriminatory tactics of the Jim Crow era.
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The 24th Amendment (1964) removed poll taxes
The 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1964, eliminated the need to pay poll taxes, which had been used to disenfranchise African Americans and poor whites, preventing them from voting in federal elections. The Amendment was proposed by Congress in 1962 and ratified by the states on January 23, 1964.
The text of the 24th Amendment explicitly states:
> The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.
Poll taxes were adopted in the Southern states, particularly in their state constitutions, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These taxes were used to prevent African Americans from voting, as they often could not afford to pay them. This was part of a broader trend of discriminatory practices and laws, including literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and violence from the Ku Klux Klan, which severely limited African American electoral power in the South.
The 24th Amendment was a significant step forward in removing barriers to voting and ensuring that all citizens, regardless of race or economic status, could exercise their constitutional right to vote. It is worth noting that while the Amendment prohibited poll taxes for federal elections, it was not until 1966 that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that poll taxes for any level of elections were unconstitutional.
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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. This amendment extended the right to vote to all Americans aged 18 and older, lowering the federal voting age from 21. The text of Section 1 of the amendment reads: "The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 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 gained momentum across the country during the 1960s, driven in part by the military draft held during the Vietnam War. Young men between the ages of 18 and 21 were being conscripted to serve in the Vietnam War but were not allowed to vote until the age of 21. This discrepancy led to the emergence of a youth rights movement, with the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote".
The push to lower the voting age also coincided with young people's increasing involvement in the civil rights movement and other social and political movements for change during the 1950s and 1960s. Additionally, improving high school graduation rates and young people's access to political information through new technologies contributed to more positive views of their preparedness for citizenship.
Despite the support for lowering the voting age, there was also opposition. Some questioned the maturity and responsibility of 18-year-olds, arguing that they lacked the "good judgment" necessary for effective citizenship. Critics like Professor William G. Carleton also challenged the notion that military service should be a criterion for voting rights, instead emphasizing the importance of literacy, education, common sense, and understanding of the political system.
The road to enacting the 26th Amendment included legal challenges. In the case of Oregon v. Mitchell, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Congress could not unilaterally lower the voting age for state and local elections. As a result, the Twenty-sixth Amendment was proposed and swiftly ratified by the requisite three-quarters of state legislatures, officially going into effect on July 1, 1971. This amendment ensured that young Americans across the country gained the right to vote in federal elections, regardless of state legislation.
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The Voting Rights Act (1965) prohibited voter discrimination based on race, colour, or language
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6, 1965. The Act prohibited voter discrimination based on race, colour, or language minority status. It was a significant step towards protecting the voting rights of racial minorities and ensuring their political power.
Before the Act, African Americans in the Southern states faced numerous obstacles to voting, including poll taxes, literacy tests, and other discriminatory practices. These barriers, along with intimidation and violence, limited African-American voter registration and political representation. The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, granted African American men the right to vote. However, discriminatory laws and practices in the late 19th and mid-20th centuries prevented many from exercising this right.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 addressed these issues by explicitly prohibiting voter discrimination based on race and colour. It also required certain jurisdictions to obtain approval or "preclearance" from the federal government before implementing any changes to voting practices. This provision ensured that new voting procedures did not discriminate against racial minorities. Additionally, the Act required certain places to provide election materials in languages other than English, promoting language accessibility for voters.
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 specifically prohibited any jurisdiction from implementing voting qualifications or practices that resulted in the denial or abridgement of the right to vote based on race, colour, or language minority status. This section provided two protections: the first prohibited intentional discrimination based on race or colour, while the second prohibited election practices resulting in the denial of the right to vote due to race or colour. These protections were further strengthened by the 2006 amendments to the Act, which broadened the definition of "purpose" in Section 5 to include any discriminatory purpose.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 remains a crucial piece of legislation in the ongoing struggle for voting rights and racial equality in the United States. While there have been challenges and setbacks, the Act has been a powerful tool for ensuring that all citizens, regardless of race, colour, or language, have the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.
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Frequently asked questions
The 15th Amendment, ratified on February 3, 1870, granted African American men the right to vote.
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, gave women the right to vote.
The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, eliminated poll taxes, which had been used in some states to prevent African Americans from voting.
