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15th amendment
The 15th Amendment gave African Americans the right to vote. It was passed in Congress on February 26, 1869, and ratified on February 3, 1870. The 15th Amendment was put in place to ensure African Americans would have full protections and have a say in the laws they have to live under. National Archives -
Alice Paul
She strongly supported and advocated for the ratification of the 19th Amendment. She was involved in picketing and parading that supported women's suffrage. March 3, 1913, was her first and largest march in the nation's capital the day before President Wilson's inauguration.
National Women's History Museum -
Guinn v. US
In Guinn & Beal v. United States, the court ruled that the Grandfather Clause was unconstitutional. This was because they ruled that it defied the 15th Amendment and was discriminatory to African Americans. supreme.justia.com -
19th amendment
The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. The Amendment was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920. Many women fought hard and protested to get this Amendment to be ratified. National Archives -
Indian Citizenship Act
The Indian Citizenship Act passed on June 2, 1924, gave all Native Americans who were born in the U.S. suffrage. This act was enforced at the state level before 1957 so many states didn't comply with it and they did not allow Native Americans to vote. Library of Congress -
24th amendment
The 24th Amendment was ratified on January 23, 1964. It bans federal & state governments from charging poll taxes. Southern states used poll taxes and other discriminatory laws to limit African Americans from voting. National Archives -
Freedom Summer
Freedom Summer was started in June of 1964 and went on until August. The goal of Freedom Summer was to get as many African Americans registered to vote in Mississippi. They hoped to increase the representation of African Americans in government and help them be heard. National Archives -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6 of that year. It banned states from using election loopholes like literacy tests to avoid the 15th Amendment. These election loopholes were extremely discriminatory towards African Americans. National Archives -
26th amendment
The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. The debate to lower the voting age to 18 started during WWI and intensified during the Vietnam War. Because the Vietnam War was very unpopular among Americans, people felt that if 18-year-olds could be drafted into the military then at least they should be able to vote. The amendment's slogan was "old enough to fight, old enough to vote." History Channel -
Jennings Randolph
Jennings Randolph initially proposed the amendment to lower the voting age to 18 instead of 21. He is consistent and never stops trying to get this amendment to be ratified while he is in the House and Senate. He first proposed this idea in 1942 and it didn't end up becoming an amendment until 1971. Annenberg Classroom