1. Guaranteeing Others’ Rights

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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 various amendments to the Constitution ended voting restrictions

7. 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.

8. 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?

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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?

13. ? 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?