2. The Franchise  The right to vote has expanded since the first elections  Originally the right to vote (the franchise) was limited to white, male landowners (50 acres or more)

3. The Expansion of the Franchise  Thirteenth Amendment (1865): Outlawed slavery in the United States  Fifteenth Amendment (1870): Guaranteed that the right to vote is protected regardless of race

4. This One is for the Ladies (And the Kiddies)  Nineteenth Amendment (1920): Granted the right to vote to women and all Americans regardless of gender  Twenty-Sixth Amendment (1971): Guarantees the right to vote to anyone over the age of 18