From the beginning of the Reconstruction era to the late 1960s, the expansion of voting rights in the United States was marked by advances and obstacles. While the Reconstruction Amendments expanded suffrage, many African Americans still endured discriminatory practices such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and intimidation tactics such as threats or beatings in order to limit any voice or impact in the voting practice. Furthermore, Jim Crow laws and practices during the late 19th century involving racial segregation highlighted various tactics to suppress African Americans from voting. Additionally, the relentless efforts of activists and suffragists, resulting in the ratification of the 19th Amendment, paved the way for many legislative reforms …show more content…
Ratified in 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, which completely extinguished the laws in place that had deprived millions of African Americans of their right to freedom (Corbet 419–421). The ratification of the 14th Amendment in 1868, however, truly established the platform for addressing the injustices and hatred pointed towards African Americans (Kennedy). Giving citizenship to all persons born in the United States, regardless of race, this amendment sought to enforce the civil rights of every citizen in the United States (Kennedy). In addition, the 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibited the denial of suffrage based on race or color (Kennedy). Together, these amendments represented a significant shift in the American political landscape, promising a more equal society. However, despite the progress made by these amendments, many African Americans were subjected to widespread discrimination. In order to suppress blacks from merging into white society, many states enacted many discriminatory laws and practices, including poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation tactics, to prevent them from voting and expressing their rights (Corbet …show more content…
Despite the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave black men the right to vote, Jim Crow laws stripped this right from many African Americans (“Jim Crow Laws”). Key events, such as the creation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1909 as well as the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, marked important milestones in the struggle for equal voting rights (National Geographic Society). For example, the Voting Rights Act outlawed discriminatory voting practices and provided federal oversight of elections in states with a history of voter suppression. This led to greater access to the ballot for African Americans. Through many decades of activism, the legacy of Jim Crow laws eventually gave way to a more inclusive and equal electoral system in the United States. In conclusion, the evolution of voting rights from the beginning of the Reconstruction era to the late 1960s has greatly changed the political standpoint of
Despite the 14th and 15th constitutional amendments that guarantee citizenship and voting right regardless of race and religion, southern states, in practice, denied African Americans the right to vote by setting up literacy tests and charging a poll tax that was designed only to disqualify them as voters. In 1955, African Americans still had significantly less political power than their white counterparts. As a result, they were powerless to prevent the white from segregating all aspects of their lives and could not stop racial discrimination in public accommodations, education, and economic opportunities. Following the 1954 Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, it remained a hot issue in 1955. That year, however, it was the murder of the fourteen-year-old Emmett Louis Till that directed the nation’s attention to the racial discrimination in America.
Out of this movement, came many successful achievements such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the segment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, that “restored and protected voting rights for African-Americans.” But along with these achievements, many outbreaks and controversies swept the South and caused casualties and the side track of acts of violence. Background After the American Civil War, three constitutional amendments passed that favored African-Americans. The Thirteenth Amendment of 1865, “abolished slavery.” The Fourteenth Amendment of 1868, “secured the former slaves their rights as citizens.”
After the American Civil War that liberated blacks from slavery, the government has taken steps to ensure the rights of the black population (13, 14, 15 amendments to the Constitution). In response, the Democrats of the southern states have adopted local laws severely limited the rights of black minority. These laws became known as the "Jim Crow laws". By 1915, in every southern state laws were passed which established segregation in schools, hotels, and others. There were limitations associated with participation in the vote: poll tax and literacy test, which related only to blacks. Major changes have occurred during the presidency of Lyndon John. At this particular time, the Civil Rights Movement has achieved significant results.
The problem Congress sought to address when passing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was that of discrimination and prejudice against citizens (mainly those of color at the time of the passing) who were being denied or abridged from voting. More specifically though, the Act got rid of literacy tests which would be filled with highly complex questions whose sole purpose was to drive them away from voting booths. It also set up stricter provisions, as well as opportunities for the government to intervene in voting practices if need be. One of the most positive outcomes of the
In 1965 congress had passed Civil Rights law for all citizens to be able to vote. Before, African American and white women did not have the same equal rights to vote as white men did. The white males allowed a small number of free African Americans to go register and vote. For a African American to vote they were required to be a free citizen and not a runaway slave. In 1867 congress made it possible for African Americans to vote. The new constitutions guarantee black suffrage and congress tried to protect the African Americans right to vote by putting the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendment. When congress passed the Civil Rights law African American still suffered from voting because congress made it unaffordable for poor people to vote. A
Johnson on August 6, 1965. The purpose of the Voting Rights Act was to destroy the barriers at state and local levels that disfranchised minority voters especially African Americans. Before the passage of The Voting Rights Act, racial minorities in The United States faced many barriers which prevented them from voting. Although racial minorities were previously given the right to vote by the 15th amendment, new ways were implemented to prevent them from exercising this right. During the time of the Civil Rights Movement, state and local governments, particularly those in The South, used different tactics and laws to disenfranchise minorities. This included using poll taxes and literacy tests ( Laney 4). African Americans also faced harassment and physical violence if they attempted to register to vote ( Voting Rights). Due to this disenfranchisement, protesters and activists , during the Civil Rights Movement, decided to focus on the voting rights issue and participated in voting- rights demonstrations throughout the South. The most well known voting-rights demonstrations that occurred in Selma, Alabama, where protesters including organization such The SCLC and SNCC were viciously attacked by state troopers (Davidson
History has been made today. Another amendment has been ratified giving more rights to the people of color in this country. After the 13th amendment declaring slavery unconstitutional and the 14th amendment granting citizenship to any person born in U.S. soil, we all knew one last thing had to be passed. The day came on February 26, 1896, when congress finally passed the 15th amendment, but it wasn’t until today that it was ratified. The 15th amendment now grants African Americans the right to vote. Black men will finally have their voice heard. They will vote just like any other men.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a push for equality for minorities was in the forefront of America. The obstacles restricting equality amongst all were race, class, and gender prejudices. An example of this can be seen in the Voter's Right act of 1965, which banned racial discrimination in voting. Prior to this act, minorities faced many obstacles including taxes, literacy test, harassment and physical violence. The battle to receive the rights that whites had was a long struggle both physically and mentally, reasons being: first, the laws had to be changed and second, combating the opposition of those who valiantly resisted these changes .The result has been every expansion of civil and political rights in American history.
Congress passed numerous amounts of laws and bills to help African Americans. The 15th Amendment prohibited the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race. The 13th Amendment was ratified in 1865 and it abolished
Finally, after years of protesting, both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 would eventually be passed prohibiting discrimination by race and securing equal voting rights for African Americans. These acts also helped advance equality for many other groups also facing discrimination by further emboldening activists to continue fighting for their
The Voting Rights Act of 1965, was issued on the grounds to help give African Americans the right to vote. In many states, such as Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Alaska, South Carolina, and Virginia, there was and implemented literacy tests, and poll taxes to obstruct the African American’s from voicing their voice. The government had to step into this issue to ensure that African American’s were not being subjected to racial discrimination. Those states would require literacy test to vote, but most of these minorities were not even able to read and write. All changes to the voting rights policy had to be approved by the government before these changes were made. The act had been extended over time, and the last extension was in
A major factor that contributed to African Americans not being able to vote were Jim Crow Laws. “Jim Crow laws took the place of the Black Code” (Engelbert). Jim Crow laws were laws that basically discriminated African Americans. “The NAACP began bringing cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and the cases that actually reached the Supreme Court, chipped away the Jim Crow doctrine” (Feldman). Racism was also a major factor when it came to allowing African Americans to vote. Racism was a major factor because African Americans were not given the same rights as other races when it came to voting. African Americans had to take literacy test and do other unfair tasks before they could even get a chance to register for voting. With the help of the NAACP, African Americans were finally getting a chance to
(Augustine, Pierre 430) Jim Crow laws and other documentation were passed to force voters to pay a poll tax or take some kind of literacy test to be able to vote. These laws and documentation largely effected the poor and the minorities. Many poor and African American people were unable to afford the poll taxes, and many were also too uneducated to pass a literacy test. Therefore, they were unable to vote.
After the American Civil War, the 14th and 15th amendments were passed with the idea of protecting the rights of newly freed African American slaves. The fifteenth Amendment ensured that the privilege to vote couldn't be denied to any United States citizen regardless of race and color or previous condition of servitude. The 15th amendment supplemented and followed
“The act was aimed to overcome legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote under the 15th amendment to the Constitution of the United States.” (Voting Rights Act) After this act was passed many things started to change in American politics. African Americans became more involved in politics, including voting. “By the end of 1965, a quarter of a million new black voters had been registered. By the end of 1966, only 4 out of the 13 southern states has fewer than 50 percent of African Americans registered to vote.” (Voting Rights Act 1965) The Voting Rights Acts was then strengthened over the years of 1970, 1975, and