Suffrage Learning Chack

Grandfather Clause - having the right to vote only if your grandparents could too

Literacy Test - a test you had to take in order to prove you could read/write

Poll Tax - a fee you had to pay in order to vote

Register - applying to vote

Suffrage - the right to vote

Political efficacy - the belief that one's vote matters and can influence political outcomes.

Voter turnout - the number of peaople who actually vote

Voting RIghts Act - reinforced 15th and protected voting rights

13th Amendment - abolished slavery,

14th Amendment - granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born or naturalized

15th Amendment - removed race restrictions

19th Amendment - removed gender restrictions

24th Amendment - prevented poll taxes

26th Amendment - lowed voting age to 18

How did the following groups get the right to vote?

• African Americans

• 18 year-olds

• Native Americans

• Women

How was the Constitution used to expand voting rights?

In what ways did the Constitution not help the expansion of voting rights

Explain the role Jim Crow played in restricting rights to vote

Who can vote today?

What challenges remain today in getting people to vote?

What are some solutions to those challenges?

Key Groups and the Right to Vote

1. African Americans: Gained the right to vote primarily through the 15th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but faced significant barriers such as Jim Crow laws and intimidation.

2. Women: Achieved suffrage with the 19th Amendment in 1920 after decades of advocacy and protest.

3. Native Americans: Faced exclusion from citizenship until 1924 when the Indian Citizenship Act was passed, yet many states found ways to keep them from voting until the 1950s.

4. 18-Year-Olds: Gained voting rights through the 26th Amendment in 1971, reflecting the belief that if individuals were old enough to fight in war, they should be able to vote.

The Constitution and Voting Rights

• How it Expanded Voting Rights: The Constitution, through its amendments, established the foundation for expanding suffrage by prohibiting various forms of discrimination, compelling states to grant voting rights based on race and gender.

• Limitations: Until the 1960s, various loopholes allowed states to impose restrictions such as literacy tests and poll taxes, limiting the effectiveness of constitutional protections for many citizens.

Jim Crow Laws and Voting Rights

• Role of Jim Crow: These laws enforced racial segregation in the South and included measures like literacy tests, poll taxes, and understanding clauses that were designed to disenfranchise African American voters and suppress their right to participate in elections.

Modern Voting Rights Landscape

• Who Can Vote Today: Today, all U.S. citizens aged 18 and older have the right to vote, but several groups, such as convicted felons in some states, may still face restrictions.

• Ongoing Challenges: Challenges to voting include voter ID laws, gerrymandering, misinformation, and continued efforts to suppress voter registration among minority groups.

• Solutions: Solutions to these challenges include grassroots voter mobilization efforts, advocating for easier registration processes, implementing automatic voter registration, and promoting education on voting rights and processes.