AlabamaLouisiana Voting Requirements in the South Many African Americans in these states lacked a quality education, and the tests were meant to exclude.

AlabamaAlabama LouisianaLouisiana

Voting Requirements in Voting Requirements in the Souththe South

Many African Americans in these states Many African Americans in these states lacked a quality education, and the lacked a quality education, and the tests were meant to exclude blacks tests were meant to exclude blacks

from the voting process.from the voting process.

1) Read a section of the Constitution out loud.

2) Tell what the section says in your own words.

3) Write out another section of the Constitution.

4) Answer eight questions on the Constitution.

Voters who could not prove a 5th grade education had to:

1) Complete a 30 question test

2) Finish the test in 10 minutes!

Alabama

Literacy Test

Louisiana

Literacy Test

Examples of Examples of Literacy TestsLiteracy Tests

The The Poll Tax Poll Tax required voters required voters to pay for the to pay for the ability to vote.ability to vote.

Most Southern Most Southern African Americans African Americans were poor were poor sharecroppers that sharecroppers that were heavily in were heavily in debt to debt to landowners. landowners. $1.$1.505019319322

== $23.$23.0000

TodaTodayy

So you think you can So you think you can VOTE?VOTE?

I am a 22 year I am a 22 year old African old African American man American man living in the living in the deep South in deep South in 1948. I work in 1948. I work in the cotton fields the cotton fields and cannot read and cannot read or write.or write.

It’s not likely that you’d It’s not likely that you’d get to vote.get to vote.

Can I vote?

The Civil Rights The Civil Rights MovementMovementOver time, more and Over time, more and

more people demanded more people demanded civil rights for all civil rights for all Americans. Americans.

The marches, The marches, speeches, sit-ins, speeches, sit-ins, freedom rides and freedom rides and activities all added up activities all added up to what we know as to what we know as the Civil Rights the Civil Rights Movement.Movement.

Voting Voting Laws Laws

ChangeChange

Can you name two Can you name two people in this people in this

image?image?

Dr. Martin Luther King,

Jr.

President Lyndon B. Johnson

The The 2424thth Amendment Amendment was was added to the added to the Constitution in Constitution in 1964. 1964. It banned the use It banned the use of poll taxes in of poll taxes in electionselections. .

The The Voting Rights Voting Rights Act Act was signed by was signed by President Johnson in President Johnson in 1965. 1965.

Voting Laws ChangeVoting Laws Change

This law: This law: • protected the right protected the right

to vote for all to vote for all citizens citizens • forced the states forced the states to obey the to obey the Constitution Constitution • reinforced the 15reinforced the 15thth Amendment.Amendment.

Changing the Voting Changing the Voting AgeAge

In the 1960s and 1970s In the 1960s and 1970s thousands of young men thousands of young men were drafted to fight in were drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. Many the Vietnam War. Many were too young to vote. were too young to vote.

The The 2626thth Amendment Amendment was was passed in 1971. passed in 1971.

Supporters of this amendment chanted, Supporters of this amendment chanted, ““Old enough to fight, old enough to vote!”Old enough to fight, old enough to vote!”

Changing the Voting Changing the Voting AgeAge

It says, “The right It says, “The right of citizens of the of citizens of the United States, who United States, who are 18 years of age are 18 years of age or older, to vote or older, to vote shall not be shall not be denied… on account denied… on account of ageof age.”.”

So you think you can So you think you can VOTE?VOTE?

I just graduated I just graduated from high school in from high school in Maryland, Class of Maryland, Class of 1972! I am 18 1972! I am 18 years old and just years old and just got drafted to fight got drafted to fight in the war in in the war in Vietnam.Vietnam.

Can I vote?

YES YOU YES YOU CAN!CAN!

Review Review Time!Time!

Do you have to own land Do you have to own land to vote in the United to vote in the United

States?States?

All land All land ownership ownership requirements requirements ended by ended by 1880!1880!

Rhode Island was the first Rhode Island was the first state to give women the state to give women the

vote.vote.

Wyoming Wyoming gave women gave women the right to the right to vote in 1869.vote in 1869.

Forcing people to pay for Forcing people to pay for the right to vote was the right to vote was

called a _________?called a _________?

Poll taxes Poll taxes were used to were used to keep poor keep poor African African Americans Americans from voting.from voting.

The Indian The Indian Citizenship Citizenship Act was Act was passed in passed in 1924. 1924.

Are Native Americans US Are Native Americans US citizens?citizens?

The Voting Rights Act The Voting Rights Act reinforced the 15reinforced the 15thth

Amendment.Amendment.After the 15After the 15thth Amendment, many Amendment, many states and states and counties still counties still prevented African prevented African Americans from Americans from voting. The Voting voting. The Voting Rights Act was Rights Act was written to remove written to remove these barriers. these barriers.

Which war led to the Which war led to the passage of the 26passage of the 26thth

Amendment?Amendment?Many of the Many of the soldiers soldiers fighting in the fighting in the Vietnam War Vietnam War were too were too young to vote. young to vote. The 26The 26thth Amendment Amendment moved the moved the voting age voting age from 21 to 18. from 21 to 18.

Are residents of Washington, Are residents of Washington, D.C. banned from voting for D.C. banned from voting for

the the President?President?

The 23The 23rdrd Amendment Amendment was passed in was passed in 1961. Now 1961. Now people can vote people can vote in D.C!in D.C!

Susan B. Anthony worked Susan B. Anthony worked to give Native Americans to give Native Americans

the right to vote.the right to vote.

Susan B. Susan B. Anthony fought Anthony fought for the right of for the right of women to vote!women to vote!

Our earliest ideas about Our earliest ideas about voting came from which voting came from which

country?country? When the When the colonists came to colonists came to America from America from England, they England, they brought all of the brought all of the ideas and ideas and customs along. customs along.