History of Minority Voting Rights
The democracy in the United States partially defines itself by the idea of one person, one vote. The inclusion of those who were allowed to vote, though, has a long history. It began with only landowners legally allowed to vote, then women, then African-Americans and, finally, all people older than 18. In modern times, instead of expanding voting rights, people have found challenges to their ability to vote.
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White Landowners
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The early stages of colonial America and continuing past the founding of the country, the concept of democracy was considered dangerous and chaotic, according to Alexander Keyssar, the author of "The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States." This meant that only a select few were allowed to vote, namely white male landowners above the age of 21. Even John Adams, one of the founding fathers, thought expanding voting rights to anyone would put the young nation on a slippery slope toward allowing children and women to speak up for their rights. Although more people are allowed voting rights in the 21st century, the founding lawmakers kept some of their rules in place, with institutions such as the Electoral College. The Electoral College exists to give small states more power and to make sure no mistakes according to the ruling class are made when electing a member of congress or president.
Women's Suffrage
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It was not until 1920 that the U.S. Constitution was officially amended to allow women to vote. The 19th Amendment states that, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." The women's suffrage movement began with the Seneca Falls Convention in Seneca Falls, N.Y., on July 19 and 20, 1848. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the leaders of the women's rights movement and helped to organize the convention and educate people for the remainder of her life. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution called for equal treatment under the law for all male citizens, and the 15th Amendment gave African-Americans the right to vote. After protests by women, including the arrest of Susan B. Anthony for attempting to vote in 1872, an amendment was finally introduced in Congress in 1878. In the early 1900s, several states allowed for women's voting rights. By 1920, Tennessee joined in the support of women's rights and the necessary 36 votes to create an amendment to the Constitution was achieved.
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Civil Rights Act
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Voting rights for African-American males officially came relatively early on in the history of the United States. Ratified on Feb. 3, 1870, the 15th Amendment states, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." It took almost a century, though, for the amendment to fully take effect. Southern states were able to institute poll taxes and tests to prevent minority access to the ballot box. By the early 1950s, the Civil Rights movement began to take hold with events such as the Montgomery County bus boycott, sit-ins at restaurants and protests led by leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The law closely mirrors the 15th Amendment but ensures that none of the same tactics that were used previously could continue to be used to prevent full equality when it came to voting.
Age
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On July 1, 1971, the 26th Amendment to the United States was ratified to allow anyone over the age of 18 to vote. Previously, the age requirement had been 21. This amendment was largely ratified because the Vietnam War drafted people as young as 18 to serve, but they were not allowed to have a voice in whether or not the draft or the war should continue. In order to fix this inconsistency, the voting age was lowered to 18. The amendment reads, "The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age."
Diluting Voting Rights
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As the eligible voting population has increased, attempts to prevent voting ability has increased as well. There were many claims in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections that African-American voters had been taken off of the registered voter lists and were prevented from voting. There are smaller issues that often arise, including a May 2010 decision that rejected the appeal to block a voting system that hurts the voting rights of American Indians in South Dakota. The Democracy Restoration Act of 2009 seeks to allow voting rights to all convicted felons, who in most states are denied the right to vote.
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References
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- Photo Credit register to vote image by Christopher Martin from Fotolia.com
