Voting Rights

In 1789, only white, male property holders possessed the right to vote. Later, this population was extended to male taxpayers of twenty-one years of age, although some states allowed free African-Americans to vote.
In the 1870's, the admission of the Fifteenth Amendment guaranteed African-Americans the right to vote. However, they were discouraged by high, subjective poll taxes and literacy tests. The Poll taxes were eventually abolished in 1964 by the Twenty-Fourth Amendment and the literacy tests were suspended by the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Despite these improvements, there was still discrimination in terms of voting; women and Native Americans did not have the right to vote. In the early Twentieth Century, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and many others pushed for women's suffrage, and held peaceful marches and parades to draw attention to the issue. After strenuous work, their efforts succeeded; the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified, allowing women to vote. Several years later, Native Americans also gained suffrage as well as citizenship.
By the late 1900's, most of the adult population had the right to vote. However, during the Vietnam War, people began to question the morals behind drafting eighteen year olds, yet denying them the right to vote. Soon thereafter, after the 26th Amendment was ratified, all eighteen year old citizens and above had the right to vote.

-Casey F., Grace M.