Introduction African Americans Women Native Americans Voters Today
Your answer to these questions will determine your right to vote. At least, that was the case during most of America's past. Founding Fathers and the VoteIn the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed."
The times, places and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by law make or alter such regulations... . Unfortunately, leaving election control to individual
states led to unfair voting practices in the U.S. At first, white
men with property were the only Americans routinely permitted to vote.
President Andrew Jackson, champion of frontiersmen, helped advance
the political rights of those who did not own property. By about 1860,
most white men without property were enfranchised. But African Americans,
women, Native Americans, non-English speakers and citizens between
the ages of 18 and 21 had to fight for the right to vote in this country.
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