Lesson 3 Chapter 4 Pages 141-145

The Civil War After the Civil War former slaves received various rights because of changes in the U.S. Constitution (three amendments). CIVIL WAR AMENDMENTS-Extended Civil Liberties to African Americans.

Thirteenth Amendment Approved in 1865, it granted African Americans freedom from slavery and made forced labor illegal (Except if part of sentencing for a crime).

WHY? Fourteenth Amendment Southern states tried to pass laws after the Civil War to control African Americans in light of the 13th Amendment. BLACK CODES- Laws in the South that limited African American job opportunities, property rights, and other rights. They restricted their rights after the Civil War.

Fourteenth Amendment Defined American Citizens “born here or naturalized.” African Americans were therefore citizens. All citizens will receive equal protection under the laws. Forbade state governments from using unreasonable action or interference with citizens. Also extends idea of DUE PROCESS to the states in the case Gitlow v. New York (States can’t deny free speech, free press, or other rights granted by the Bill of Rights).

FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT Meant to protect African American suffrage (right to vote). NO state can deny a person the right to vote because of race. DOES NOT include female suffrage.

Poll Taxes Created by southern states after the Civil War to stop African Americans from voting. POLL TAX- Fee that people had to pay in order to vote. If you did not pay the tax it accumulated over years. This would make your ability to repay the tax impossible (not allowed to vote). The Twenty-Fourth Amendment (1964) banned Poll Taxes.

Seventeenth Amendment Allows the direct election of United States Senators. Before this amendment state legislatures chose U.S. Senators.

Nineteenth Amendment In 1920, this amendment granted women suffrage. The amendment extended suffrage to about half of the adults in the United States.

Twenty-Third Amendment Allowed Washington D.C. to vote for president and vice president for the first time. Gave D.C. the same number of electoral votes as the smallest state. D.C. does not have a representative in the U.S. Congress.

Twenty-Sixth Amendment Gave 18 year old people the right to vote. Before this time you had to be 21 years old to vote. It was passed in response to the Vietnam War. Many people, during Vietnam, could be forced to serve in the armed forces, but did not have a say in electing the political leaders in our country.

As described in the selected passage, the proposed Constitutional Amendment would?

Let’s create a voting rights Timeline!!!

1. What were black codes? Black codes were laws passed in Southern states after the Civil War that limited African Americans’ rights.

2. What amendment extended suffrage to nearly half of all American citizens? Why did it affect so many? The Nineteenth Amendment did, because it gave the right to vote to women, who make up about half the population.

3. How did the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments extend African Americans' rights? The Thirteenth ended slavery; the Fourteenth defined citizenship and extended equal protection for all citizens, which led to the Bill of Rights being applied to state governments; and the Fifteenth prohibited the denial of voting rights based on race.

17th – Direct vote for Senators 19th – Women 4. What election laws were affected by the Seventeenth, Nineteenth, Twenty-third, Twenty-fourth, and Twenty-sixth Amendments? 17th – Direct vote for Senators 19th – Women 23rd – DC residents for for president 24th – Eliminates poll tax 26th – Lowers voting age to 18