Guaranteeing Others’ Rights

Extending Civil Rights Civil Rights- rights guaranteed to all U.S. citizens Constitution/Bill of Rights is the foundation of civil rights in U.S. New amendments were passed as new circumstances and changing beliefs in the country required changed in govt. 13th and 14th Amendments after the Civil War

Thirteenth Amendment 1865- Outlawed slavery in the U.S. Emancipation Proclamation was directed towards Confederate states in rebellion Didn’t technically free the slaves Thirteenth Amendment officially ended slavery in all states/lands governed by U.S.

Fourteenth Amendment 1868- Protects citizens against unfair actions by state governments Intended to protect the rights of former slaves Three parts to the amendment: Full citizenship to African Americans No state can take away a citizen’s “life, liberty, or property, without due process of law” No state can deny citizens equal protection under the law

Extending Voting Rights Suffrage- the right to vote Struggle to gain voting rights for some groups of Americans (women, African Americans) was not easy Voting rights are the subject of six amendments in Constitution

Extending Voting Rights At first, no mention of voting rights in Constitution States decided who could vote States limited rights to vote to white men, 21+, with certain amount of property 1800s-1971- various amendments to the Constitution ended voting restrictions

Fifteenth Amendment Guarantees African American men the right to vote No person can be denied the right to vote because of race and color Until the 1960s Civil Rights era, most states still passed laws that kept African Americans from voting Poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, etc. etc.

Seventeenth Amendment 1913- Gives a states eligible voters the right to elect the state’s U.S. senators Before, U.S. senators were chosen by members of the legislature Who are our two senators in NC?

The Nineteenth Amendment Granted the right to vote to American women 1890- Wyoming becomes the first state to grant women suffrage rights 1920- Nineteenth Amendment is ratified

The Twenty-Third Amendment 1961- Gave citizens living in Washington, D.C. the right to vote for president and vice president Before, residents of D.C. were not allowed to vote in national elections since late 1700s

The Twenty-Fourth Amendment Late 1800s- Poll taxes had to be paid before people were allowed to vote Intended to discourage African Americans from voting 1964- Twenty-Fourth Amendment forbids the use of poll taxes as qualifications for voting 1966- Supreme Court rules poll taxes unlawful in state elections

The Twenty-Sixth Amendment 1971- Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 Considered after the fact that 18 year olds were allowed to serve in the military, so why not be able to vote as well?

? What do the 13th and 14th Amendments state? What does the 15th Amendment state? What does the 19th Amendment state? What does the 24th Amendment state? What does the 26th Amendment state?