2.   Civil Rights: the rights belonging to citizens Synonym :  Segregation: separation based on race Synonym :  Equal protection: the government will protect everyone’s rights equally Synonym :  Discrimination: unfair treatment Synonym :  Suffrage: the right to vote Synonym :  Poll or polling place: Place where voting takes place Synonym :  Poll tax: a fee required to vote Synonym :  Literacy test: a reading test used to determine whether or not someone was eligible to register vote  Synonym : Important Terms

3.  Purpose  You will learn about specific amendments and laws related to voting rights and their impact on the participation of groups in the American political process.  Voting rights are a part of civil rights.  Civil rights are the rights belonging to citizens: rights to be free from unequal treatment based on certain protected characteristics (i.e. race, gender, disability).

4.   Voting  Volunteering for a campaign  Joining an interest group  Petitioning the government  Writing to government officials  Running for office How can citizens participate in government?

5.  Who is allowed to vote?  American citizens  18 years of age and older  Including all races  And both genders

6.   When the US Constitution was written, only white, male, adult property owners were allowed to vote. The Constitution was official September,1787.  Property ownership and tax requirements were eliminated over the next 50-60 years.  Literacy tests and poll taxes were implemented in many states. States had discriminatory practices. (1850’s-1880’s)  Took until the 1970’s and 1980’s to eliminate literacy tests and poll taxes throughout the country. Has it always been like this?

7.  SCAVENGER HUNT!  Using a copy of the Constitution, locate the Amendments that address voting rights in some way.  Once you have identified the Amendment:  Summarize the content  Identify the groups impacted  State the year each Amendment was ratified Where do we get our voting rights today?

8.  13 th 1865The 13 th Amendment outlawed slavery and should have given African Americans the right to vote. White male land owners 13 th Amendment

9.  Voting Rights Timeline DateVoting & Amendment InformationSummary of TextWho Can Vote?Who Cannot Vote? 1788U.S. Constitution adopted. There is no agreement on a national standard for voting rights; states are given the power to regulate their own voting laws. In most cases, voting remains in the hands of white male landowners. There is no national standard for voting. States are given the power to regulate voting. White male landowners All other people 186513 th Amendment Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. The 13th Amendment ended slavery in the United States. White male landowners All other people 186814 th Amendment Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. In section 2 a voter is defined as males, being at least twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States. In the 14 th Amendment, citizenship is defined and granted to former slaves. Voters are defined as male, at least 21 years old and citizens. Male citizens at least 21 years old. All other people.

10. 187015 th Amendment SECTION. 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The 15 th Amendment made it illegal for the federal or state governments to deny someone the right to vote based on race. Male citizens at least 21 years old of any race. All other people. 192019 th Amendment The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. The 19 th Amendment gave women the right to vote in federal and state elections. Male and female citizens at least 21 years old any race. People under the age of 21 and non-citizens. 1924Congress passes legislation that grants citizenship to all Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the country. All Native Americans become citizens born in the U.S. Male and female citizens at least 21 years old, any race including Native Americans. People under the age of 21 and non-citizens. 196424 th Amendment SECTION. 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay poll tax or other tax. The 24 th Amendment guarantees that the right to vote in federal elections will not be denied for failure to pay any tax. Male and female citizens at least 21 years old of any race. 197126 th Amendment SECTION. 1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age. The 26 th Amendment changed the voting age from 21 to 18. Male and female citizens at least 18 years old of any race. People under 18 years old and non-citizens.

11.  Literacy Test  Louisiana State Literacy Test 1964  http://www.tn.gov/tsla/e xhibits/blackhistory/pdfs/ Voter%20Test%20LA.pdf http://www.tn.gov/tsla/e xhibits/blackhistory/pdfs/ Voter%20Test%20LA.pdf  Alabama Literacy Test 1965  http://www.ferris.edu/HT MLS/news/jimcrow/origi ns/images/al_literacy.pdf http://www.ferris.edu/HT MLS/news/jimcrow/origi ns/images/al_literacy.pdf  States determined voter registration procedures.  Some states created literacy tests to determine whether or not someone was eligible to register to vote.  Literacy tests were used as an intimidation factor to prevent minorities from registering to vote.

12.  Poll Tax  States determined voting requirements  Some states created a tax to be paid in order to vote.  Poll taxes were used as an intimidation factor to prevent minorities (poor, African American) from being able to vote. Poll: process of voting in an election Tax: paying a fee Poll Tax: paying a fee to vote in an election

13.   1. Many of the soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War were too young to vote. Which amendment was it?

14.   2. Some states instituted taxes, or fees, that had to be paid in order to vote, knowing that many poor people would be unable to afford the fee. Which amendment was it?

15.   3. Before this amendment slaves were considered property and belonged to their owners. This meant they had no rights. Which amendment was it?

16.   4. Slaves were now considered to citizens of the United States. Which amendment was it?

17.   5. Voting was restricted to only white males until this amendment came along and allowed all races to be allowed to vote. Which amendment was it?

18.   6. Even though women were considered citizens they were only given suffrage after this amendment. Which amendment was it?

19.   1. Answer: The 26th Amendment moved the voting age from 21 to 18.  2. Answer: 24 th Amendment was written to prevent states from charging poll taxes or literacy tests  3. Answer: Once the 13th amendment was passed, they were still not permitted to vote –just because slavery was illegal, it did not make them citizens.  4. Answer: The 14th amendment defined who would be considered a citizen.  5. Answer: Once the 15th amendment was passed, which banned the restriction of voting based on race or previous servitude.  Answer: The 19th amendment banned the restriction on voting based on sex/gender. Answers

20.  If these amendments had never been added these people would not be able to vote:  African Americans  Female citizens  Citizens who are poor  Citizens who are uneducated  Citizens under the age of 18 Who would be unable to vote?

21.   Those under the age of 18  Non-citizens residing in the United States  Illegal aliens  Prisoners Who is not allowed to vote? This means you! This means anyone working or studying in the U.S. on a visa. This means people living in the US illegally. This includes those who are incarcerated and recently released from prison.

22.   If you could propose a constitutional amendment to ban discrimination of certain groups, who would you target?  If you could propose an amendment to the Constitution to not allow certain groups to vote, what would you propose?

23.   With such a low percentage of persons in the United States who actually vote, what would happen if we amended the Constitution to require everyone to vote?  Some countries have such a requirement. What are the pros and cons of such a policy? Should we require citizens to vote?

25.  Political Cartoon  What do you think is going on in this cartoon?  What is the issue on which it is focusing?  What amendments relate to this?  How do you know?

26.  What the cartoon means?  The 15 th Amendment provided that the right to vote would not be denied or abridged on the basis of “race, color or previous condition of servitude”.  Although the 15 th Amendment guaranteed the right to vote for African Americans, southern officials found various means to take that right away. One way was requiring that citizens pass a literacy test in order to register to vote.  A literacy test required citizens to prove that they were able to read and write before being registered to vote; literacy tests were used primarily to deny African Americans and other minority groups the right to vote.

27.   Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. 14th Amendment

28.   No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States;  Meaning: No state can make a law that limits the rights of citizens  Examples of:  Literacy Test = preventing people from their right to vote  Poll taxes= preventing people from their right to vote 14th Amendment

29.   Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.  Meaning: States can not treat any people differently  Examples:  Literacy Tests =were not treating people equally  Poll taxes = were not treating people equally 14th Amendment

30.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963:  What do you think was Dr. King’s approach to fighting for civil rights?  What does he mean that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily?  My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily.

31.  King Leads the March on Washington http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights- movement/videos/martin-luther-king-jr-leads-the-march- on- washington?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=fals e As you watch the video answer the following questions…  1. How was the March on Washington significant in the fight for civil rights?  2. What legislation was passed?

32.  Reading Decided that separate but equal was a violation of the 14 th amendment Brow n V Board of Educa tion19 54 Leaders like Martin Luther King began protesting the discrimina tion against African Americans Civil Rights Moveme nt Began Banned discrimina tion against anyone based on race religion, or national origin Civil Rights Act of 1964 Banned discriminati on when it comes to voting The voting Rights Act of 1965 Because of these Amendments and Acts, we now have equality under the 14 th Amendment.

33.  Political Cartoon  “Why are the Civil Rights Acts and Voting Rights Act important?  Which Amendment was related to the Civil Rights Act of 1964?  The title of the text was ‘The Journey for Civil Rights,’ how was the fight for civil rights a journey? What stood out to you from the reading or videos that helped you understand the journey?”

34.  Civil Rights  What do you see in this photo?  What does the signage say?  What do you think the people in this photo want?

35.  Equal Rights Amendment  Alice Paul, one of the leaders of the women’s suffrage movement, believed that freedom from gender discrimination required an Equal Rights Amendment. In 1923, the ERA was first introduced.  The amendment was introduced in every session of Congress until it passed in a reworded form in 1972.  In the 1960s, women organized to demand their rights, including the ERA.  The Equal Rights Amendment passed both houses of Congress on March 22, 1972 and was sent to the states for ratification. Congress placed a seven-year deadline on the ratification process, however the amendment was not ratified.  The Equal Rights Amendment continues to be pursued by women’s groups and members of Congress.