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At the beginning
. Many years ago, law, custom and violence prevented many people from voting. Before the American Revolution, only white males who owned a home and payed taxes were allowed to vote. As a result, only six percent of the total adult population was eligible to vote. This was because at the time educated white males believe that voting would best be left to the wealthy white men. -
Some free black men
When the constitution was implemented in 1789, enslaved African Americans were not allowed to vote and the ones that were free were only allowed to vote in a few states. -
all White men
. In the early 1800s, state legislature slowly removed the property and religious requirements on voting. By the mid-1800s nearly all white males were allowed to vote. -
The fifteenth amendment
When the fifteenth amendment came into play in 1870, it provided that no state could deprive any citizen of the right to vote based on their race, color, or previous condition -
Some women can vote
By 1914, they had won the right to vote in 11 states, all of them west of the Mississippi. -
Womens rights/ the nineteenth amendment
When the 19th amendment was implemented in 1920. Women finally achieved the right to vote. -
literacy test
Until the 1960s, many states required citizens to pass a literacy test to qualify to vote. -
the twenty fourth amendment
When the 24th amendment came into play in 1964, poll tax in election were banned. Even with the amendment being implemented, the use of pol tax in state election was not banned until 1966 due to a Supreme court decision. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
In 1965 the Voting Rights Act was implemented. This act allowed the federal government to register voters and sent vote watcher to prevent voting discrimination on election day in states that have previously discriminated against African American voters -
The twenty sixth amendment
until 1971 an argument was that if individuals were old enough to be drafted and fight for their country, they were old enough to vote. This is when the 26th amendment was ratified wich lowered the voting age to 18 years old