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15th Amendment
Passed by Congress February 26, 1869 and ratified on february 3, 1870. This amendment gave Black men the privilege to vote in elections. This amendment seemed like a start towards equality for Black people of this time.
National Archives -
Guinn vs United States
This case was fought in 1915 to destroy what was known as the Grandfather clause because it discriminated against Black people’s rights in America. White men had thought of loopholes to violate the 15th amendment, but Justice Edward White proved his case allowing for another major step in history as far as voting equality.
Oklahoma Historical Society -
Alice Paul
The founder of the Congressional Union for Women. She was a known voice in the Women’s suffrage movement who contributed to the 19th amendment being passed by Congress. She spent her life advocating for Women’s rights and protecting women from discrimination.
National HistoryWomen's Museums -
19th amendment
On June 4, 1919 the 19th amendment was passed by congress. It was later ratified on August 18, 1920. This amendment ensured to Women that they now had the right to vote. This amendment took Women decades to get it passed before achieving their ultimate goal.
National Archives -
24th amendment
This amendment was ratified to the Constitution on January 23, 1964. Its purpose was to ban poll taxes from being set in place in times of federal elections. The 15th Amendment had given African American males the right to vote, but white men found ways to get around the amendment by creating poll taxes. Finally in order to stop segregation this amendment was passed.
Ronald Reagan -
26th amendment
The 26th amendment was passed by congress on March 23, 1971 and was later ratified on July 1, 1971. This amendment was put into place to allow people who were 18 years of age and older to vote in elections. The sole purpose of this amendment was because men were being drafted to fight in the Vietnam war, but were not even allowed to vote for the people sending them to fight.
Constitution Annotated -
The Freedom Summer Project
This movement was primarily aimed to increase the number of Black voter registrations in Mississippi. Whites and Blacks came together to fight against the discrimination and faced unjustified consequences like beatings, violence, false arrests, and even murder. Freedom Summer -
Voting Rights act of 1965
Loopholes were officially destroyed and now illegal in terms of voting in the United States. President Johnson outlawed what white men had put in place to avoid the rights given to people of color. This act had a major impact on the History of our country.
National Archives -
Help America Vote Act
Was singed into place to help improve the voting systems and voter access after the 2000 elections. It created mandatory standards for states to follow in areas of election administration. [United States Election Assistance Commission (https://www.eac.gov/about/help_america_vote_act.aspx) -
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement
This was set into place to modernize the Voting Rights act of 1965. It strengthened the law and moved our society closer to ending discrimination as far as voting in the United States. The John Lewis Voting Rights Act