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The Constitution (Bill of Rights)
The Constitution had 10 amendments when it was first ratified, which make up the Bill of Rights.
The Ninth Amendment states that just because a right may not be directly mentioned in the Constitution, it does not mean that the right doesn't exist. In terms of voting, that could apply to the ability to vote by non-white males. However, the amendment does not specify if that right exists at all, so in this case, the question on if minorities could vote was unresolved. -
The 14th Amendment
Within this amendment, it was stated in section one that all people born or naturalized in the U.S. was an American citizen. With more people being able to become citizens, it may be thought that more minorities could vote. However, during this time, there were categories of rights, two of which being "political rights" and "civil rights," and voting was a political right. Meaning, just because one is a citizen, they do not have every political right, and certain minorities still couldn't vote. -
The 15th Amendment
This amendment stated that race, color, or former servitude did not interfere with an American citizen's right to vote. This allowed a large portion of minorities, particularly African-Americans, the right to vote. However, this amendment did not mention gender, so women of all races were still not permitted to vote. -
The 19th Amendment
This amendment prevented sex from denying citizens the ability to vote, effectively giving female U.S. citizens the right to vote. This, in combination with the 15th amendment, allowed colored women to vote as well. -
The 26th Amendment
This amendment lowered the minimum age to vote to 18, introducing a younger demographic of voters.
