The 1776 Declaration of Independence was signed to end “taxation without representation.” In reality, suffrage (the right to vote) in America would remain highly limited until the late 20th century. After the Revolutionary War, the Articles of Confederation let suffrage rules be decided by the states. Even the 1789 Constitution failed to create national voting rights. As a result, voting was typically limited to white, male taxpayers- the people who ran those states. This would slowly begin to change.
The 15th Amendment(1870) was the first step in changing national suffrage; it legally allowed males of every race and social status to vote. But even after the 15th, voting in the South (and even in some Northern states) was largely limited. High poll taxes and difficult literacy tests, which white voters could skip, continued to prevent non-white voting. These devious methods would remain in place till the mid-1965.
Women had tried to secure their suffrage with the 15th, but they were not included in the amendment. They were only allowed to vote 50 years later, following the passing of the19th Amendment . Four years later, suffrage was finally extended to all American citizens (including Native American citizens, who had previously been prevented from citizenship). In addition, the ratification of the 24th amendment (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965) abolished poll-taxes and literacy tests, respectively.
The national voting age at that time was twenty-one (a few states had lowered it to eighteen). But during the Vietnam War, men were drafted from eighteen years and older were drafted. Many saw their inability to vote about the war they were going to fight in an unfair irony. So, because of the 26th Amendment (1971), all citizens eighteen years or older can vote today.
-Gayan
