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Everyone to the polls, you have a right to vote. American citizens have fought and even died for the right to vote in local, state and national elections from the very founding of our country. What a wonderful gift it is to receive and use. But from the beginning not everyone had the right to go to the poll. In fact, we did not have that right until the Amendments were added to the Constitution. Initially only white men with property were allowed the vote. Common white men, women and people of color were denied the right to vote. It was not until the Civil War that most white men finally received that right. But people of color, and Native Americans had to pass literacy and religious tests and pay poll taxes. This discouraged many from voting. Fortunately the Amendments 13, 14, and 15 were added to the US Constitution. These amendments outlawed slavery and gave civil rights and voting rights to former slaves. But restrictions continued to keep many African Americans from voting until one hundred years later when the Voting Rights Act was passed August 6, 1965. It banned literacy tests and gave federal enforcement to voting registration and other rights.
In order for Native Americans to vote they had to give up their tribal affiliations and become American citizens. But many western states had property requirements which kept them from voting along with other hindrances'.
In 1848, the Mexican American war was ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. Mexican American gained citizenship and the right to vote but again unfortunately, the border states imposed property requirements to hinder their voting rights.
Woman's Suffrage movements fought long and hard to give women the right to vote which led to the 19th Amendment which was ratified August 18, 1920.
It was not until 1966 with the change in immigration and naturalization laws that many Asian Americans were able to vote. During World War II thousands of Japanese American citizens were put in concentration camps and withheld the right to vote while captive.
In the 1960s men and women under the age of twenty-one objected of their lack of suffrage. They believed that if they could be drafted into military service and go to Vietnam they should be able to vote. They protested and in 1971, the 26th Amendment was signed giving Americans the right to vote at age eighteen.
Also in 1970, The Voting Rights Act provided support to minority voters who could not speak fluently.
Let us hold tight the precious gift and right to vote. It has cost Americans a heavy price.
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Source by Mel Jackson