Once every four years, on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, America practices a fundamental part of democracy. This fundamental principal is voting. Unfortunately in the last decade only 50 percent of voting age Americans show up to the polls.This has been a perplexing situation considering that there has been a long fight for multiple groups in American history to achieve the right to vote. In order to understand why half of able Americans do not vote, we need to understand the history of voting rights.
Eligibility to vote in the United States was first established in the Constitution as well as its amendments. However, there is no specific federal law, which means that each state is given considerable judgement to enact qualifications for suffrage and candidacy within its state lines. Interestingly enough, not everyone knows about America’s long fight to ensure everyone can vote. While this can still be debated as an ongoing problem, it is important to know the history of suffrage surrounding certain groups in America.
In 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed, only land owning males could vote. These were mainly white …show more content…
In 1963 and 1964 Large-scale civil rights efforts in the South to register African Americans to vote are heightened. This became a challenge due to state officials refusal to allow African Americans to register by using voting taxes, literacy tests and violent intimidation. That was until 1964, when the 24th Amendment passed. It guarantees that the right to vote in federal elections will not be denied for failure to pay any tax. Then in 1965 Grassroots movement forces change in law Voting Rights Act passed. It forbade states from imposing discriminatory restrictions on who can vote. In 1966 Civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Stokely Carmichael continue the Civil Rights march and thousands of African Americans register to
Eligibility to vote in the United States was first established in the Constitution as well as its amendments. However, there is no specific federal law, which means that each state is given considerable judgement to enact qualifications for suffrage and candidacy within its state lines. Interestingly enough, not everyone knows about America’s long fight to ensure everyone can vote. While this can still be debated as an ongoing problem, it is important to know the history of suffrage surrounding certain groups in America.
In 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed, only land owning males could vote. These were mainly white …show more content…
In 1963 and 1964 Large-scale civil rights efforts in the South to register African Americans to vote are heightened. This became a challenge due to state officials refusal to allow African Americans to register by using voting taxes, literacy tests and violent intimidation. That was until 1964, when the 24th Amendment passed. It guarantees that the right to vote in federal elections will not be denied for failure to pay any tax. Then in 1965 Grassroots movement forces change in law Voting Rights Act passed. It forbade states from imposing discriminatory restrictions on who can vote. In 1966 Civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Stokely Carmichael continue the Civil Rights march and thousands of African Americans register to