 Civil Rights: rights guaranteed to all Americans  Constitution and Bill of Rights are foundation of Civil Rights in US  Civil War led to Civil Rights becoming a federal issue

 1865: Outlawed slavery in all states and lands governed by the United States › Note: Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 only outlawed slavery in the Confederate states

 1868: Granted full citizenship to African Americans › Declared no state could take away life, liberty, or property without due process of law › Guaranteed equal protection under the laws

 Colonial Days: Only free, white men who owned property could vote › Some states expanded this to any white, tax-paying male › Only landowners could hold public office

 Constitution never mentions voting rights › Results in many groups (women, African Americans, poor citizens) from voting  Between 1870 and 1971, six amendments changed this by extending suffrage to all US citizens › Suffrage: The Right to Vote

 1870: No one can be denied suffrage because of race or color  Mainly applied to African American men  Southern states passed many laws to challenge 15 th Amendment › 1960s: civil rights laws guaranteed voting rights

 1913: Direct election of Senators  Before this, state legislature’s elected Senators › Strengthened direct representation › Senators closer to voters than other politicians

 1920: All women get right to vote › 1890: Wyoming was the first state for women’s suffrage › Other states followed suit before the national law  Susan B. Anthony, Carrie Chapman Catt, Lucretia Mott, &Elizabeth Cady Stanton leaders of women’s suffrage movement

 1961: District of Columbia gains right to vote for president and vice president

 1971: Lowered the voting age in all elections to age 18 › Previous laws were 21 years of age › Resulted from many young men fighting in the Vietnam War (old enough to fight, old enough to vote)