The fight for the right to vote in the United States - Nicki Beaman Griffin

Summary

This script traces the evolution of voting rights in the United States, starting from only 6% of the population being eligible in 1789 to the current broad base of eligible voters. It highlights the journey from property-owning white males to the inclusion of black men post-Civil War, women after the 19th Amendment, and the eventual lowering of the voting age to 18 with the 26th Amendment. Despite these advancements, challenges persist in voter suppression, and voter turnout remains suboptimal, prompting reflection on the state of democracy and civic engagement.

Takeaways

• 🗳️ Eligibility for voting in U.S. presidential elections requires being at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, a state resident, and not a felon.
• 🏛️ Historically, voting rights in the U.S. were limited to a small percentage of the population, primarily white male property owners.
• 🌱 As the U.S. expanded westward, new states often dropped property requirements, allowing more people to vote.
• 🔄 Andrew Jackson, the 'common man' president, advocated for universal white male suffrage, removing property barriers but not extending voting rights to others.
• 📜 The 15th Amendment after the Civil War aimed to secure voting rights for African American men, but in practice, intimidation and discriminatory laws persisted.
• 📊 By the late 1800s and early 1900s, voter suppression tactics like literacy tests and poll taxes severely limited African American voting rights.
• 🚫 Women were excluded from voting until the 19th Amendment in 1920, but even then, it primarily applied to white women.
• 🌟 The civil rights movement post-WWII challenged the U.S. to align its democratic ideals with its practices, leading to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
• 📉 The Vietnam War highlighted the contradiction of sending men to war without the right to vote, leading to the 26th Amendment lowering the voting age to 18.
• 🔄 Today, while the U.S. has a broader and more inclusive electorate, voter suppression still exists, and voter turnout remains a concern.

Q & A

What are the basic eligibility requirements to vote for the President of the United States?

To be eligible to vote for the President of the United States, one must be at least 18 years old, a citizen of the U.S., and a resident of a state, and not a felon.

What percentage of the U.S. population was allowed to vote during George Washington's first election?

Only 6% of the entire United States population was allowed to vote during George Washington's first election in 1789.

Who were the only ones allowed to vote in the early years of the United States?

In the early years of the United States, only white, male property owners were allowed to vote.

How did the expansion of the American frontier impact voting eligibility?

As the American population expanded into the western frontier, states typically left out the property requirement for voting, allowing more people, such as frontier farmers, to be eligible to vote.

What did Andrew Jackson promote in terms of voting rights, and what did it exclude?

Andrew Jackson promoted what he called universal suffrage, which really meant universal white, male suffrage. It emphasized getting rid of the property requirement for voting but did not expand the vote beyond white men.

What was the impact of the 15th Amendment on voting rights in the United States?

The 15th Amendment promised that a person's right to vote could not be denied based on race, color, or previous condition as a slave, allowing black men to vote, but in practice, intimidation and laws like literacy tests and poll taxes kept many from exercising their voting rights.

When did women gain the right to vote in the United States, and what limitations remained?

Women gained the right to vote with the 19th Amendment in 1920, but restrictions on African-Americans, including African-American women, remained in place.

What prompted the United States to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

The United States passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in response to the modern civil rights movement, which questioned how a nation that fought for freedom abroad could deny suffrage based on race at home.

What was the significance of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution?

The 26th Amendment to the Constitution made all citizens 18 and older eligible to vote, addressing the perceived unfairness of sending men who couldn't vote to war during the Vietnam War.

What is the current state of eligible voters in the U.S., and what challenges remain?

The pool of eligible voters in the U.S. is now broader and more inclusive than ever before, but there are still active efforts to suppress some groups from voting, and voter turnout remains a challenge, with only about 60% of those who can vote actually doing so.

What are some reasons why eligible voters might not participate in voting?

Reasons why eligible voters might not participate in voting can include voter suppression efforts, lack of information or awareness about the voting process, disenchantment with the political system, or logistical barriers such as difficulty in accessing polling places.