R.B. Stall High School – Article of the Week
February 24, 2014
Name:________________________________________________Date:_____________________
Did you know that the right to vote was given to African American men nearly fifty years before women earned this right? Did you
also know that some states continued to ignore the amendment and find ways to prevent certain groups of people from voting? Read
to learn more about the amendments, discrimination practices and lastly, how a criminal record can take away your right to vote
forever. Remember to preview first, set a purpose for reading, and then read closely and carefully. Answer the questions after
reading. Look back in the text for help.
The Right to Vote
What’s in a Title?
Source: http://kids.laws.com/24th-amendment
AMENDMENT XV
Passed by Congress February 26, 1869. Ratified February 3, 1870.
AMENDMENT XXIV Passed by Congress August 27, 1962. Ratified January 23, 1964.
The 15th amendment protects the rights of Americans to vote in elections to elect their leaders. Specifically, it confirms the right to vote
and lists conditions that are illegal to deny another person the right to vote. Any American cannot be denied the right to vote, based on
race, color or being a former slave.
The 15th amendment was important in that it not only finally gave African Americans the right to vote, but also allowed the most African
Americans in history to be elected into public office. Once in office, they pursued laws that provided schools for all children and allowed
people of different races to be married.
After the US Army was pulled out of the South, white Southerners reasserted their power and passed laws that prevented those whose
grandfathers had not been citizens from voting as well as making people pay to vote. This prevented African Americans from voting
meaningfully in the South until much later in the 20th century. Therefore, even though the 15th amendment protected the voting rights of
African Americans and other minorities, it was not until much later that the federal government stepped in to enforce it.
Before the 15th amendment
Before the 15th amendment and the Civil War, African Americans, even those who were not slaves, could not vote. The right to vote would
imply that these men were citizens, which was not acceptable to Americans at the time. The Supreme Court case of Dred Scott v.
Sanford set the rule for African Americans not voting and this rule was in place until the 15th amendment.
th
The 15 Amendment
Section 1
The right of citizens of the United States…
The 14th amendment grants citizenship to all born in the United States and this amendment grants them the right to…
…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.
(all persons, regardless of their ethnicity, race or status as a former slave has the right to vote)
Section 2
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article…
Problems with the 15th amendment
Many states were wary of the 15th amendment, mostly because they did not want Chinese and Irish immigrants voting. In fact, California
and Oregon would not ratify the amendment due to the large amount of Chinese immigrants that lived there. It was not until almost 90
years later that these states would ratify the 15th amendment. The 15th amendment passed, without the support of these states, in 1870
and these protections largely helped African Americans, as long as there were federal troops to protect them.
How did some states prevent certain people from voting?
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The 24 amendment – The solution?
The 24th amendment was important to the Civil Rights Movement as it ended mandatory poll taxes that prevented many African
Americans. Poll taxes, combined with grandfather clauses and intimidation, effectively prevented African Americans from having any sort of
political power, especially in the South. When the 24th amendment passed, five southern states, Virginia, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, and
Mississippi still had poll taxes. Most Southern states, at one time or another had poll taxes and in severe cases, had cumulative poll taxes
that required the voter to pay taxes not just from that year, but also previous years they had not voted.
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The 24 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 any poll tax or other tax.
Section 2
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Why was the 24th amendment important?
The 24th amendment is important because African Americans in the South faced significant discrimination and could not vote for elected
officials that would work to end the discrimination. Although the poll tax was never a large sum of money, it was just enough to stop poor
African Americans and whites from voting. Although the 15th amendment protected the rights of citizens to vote in elections, this did not
stop creative measures specifically tailored against African Americans, such as literacy tests, which represented an unfair burden to the
poor and illiterate, who by the constitution are entitled to their vote.
Ratification
What does this word mean?
Illinois was the first state to ratify the 24th amendment in 1962. The ratification process ended in 1964 with South Dakota being the 38th
state to ratify the amendment. Unsurprisingly, most Southern states, except Florida, that had had the poll tax, voted against or failed to
ratify the amendment. Some of these states kept the poll tax law in legal code, even though they could no longer enforce it. The Supreme
Court would later rule against other forms of taxation on voters, such as Virginia requiring a certificate of residence to vote, which came at
a price.
Think About It!
After learning about the amendments that gave us all the right to vote, read the linked article to find out why thousands of
adults will never have the right to vote.
Voting Rights of Black Americans Trampled By 'New Jim Crow,' Civil Rights Advocates Say
Posted: 07/25/2013 7:28 am EDT
Updated: 07/25/2013 11:51 am EDT
Huffington Post.com - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/25/black-america-2013_n_3647789.html
Read this hyperlinked article to find out how a criminal record can take away your right to vote.
1.
One result of the 15th amendment was African American men earning the right to vote. What are two
effects of this amendment identified by the author that improved the lives of African Americans?
2. What action did some state and local governments take to prevent people from voting?
3. How did the U.S. government attempt to stop this practice?
4. Why did California and Oregon not ratify the 15th amendment until 90 years after it was written?
5. What role did a person’s literacy skills have in voting?
6.
Does a convicted felon have the right to vote? Do you agree with this law or do you believe that the 15th
amendment should apply to everyone, regardless of criminal history?
Math: How many years did it take after ratification of the 15th amendment before the 24th was ratified?