The history of the United States has witnessed a long and tumultuous battle for the right to vote. The resilient and brave individuals who fought for our right to vote had to endure setbacks and overcome struggles, such as civil war, restrictive social conventions, and police brutality.
Even at its inception, the United States had limited voting rights because only eligible white men were allowed to vote. The Northern and Southern states eventually split over the issue of slavery, resulting in the Civil War that led to approximately 620,000 deaths over the course of four years. Ultimately, the North won the war in 1865 and Congress passed the 15th Amendment, granting African Americans the right to vote. Formally adopted into the Constitution in 1870, the 15th Amendment states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Unfortunately, the amendment itself was not sufficient to provide effective suffrage due to discriminatory barriers, such as the poll tax, literacy tests, intimidation, and violence, that were utilized to prevent African Americans from voting.
However, African Americans were not the only ones who fought for their right to vote. By 1878, the Women’s Suffrage Movement gained enough influence to lobby for a constitutional amendment, but the amendment failed to pass the Senate in 1886. Undeterred, women used parades, pickets, and marches to call attention to women’s suffrage, and with the increased role of women in World War I (1914-1918), the movement finally gained momentum. In 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified. It declared, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”
While African Americans legally had the right to vote due to the 15th Amendment, they still faced discrimination and were unable to exercise their right to vote. To correct this injustice, Martin Luther King Jr. led nonviolent demonstrations, protesters marched from Selma amidst violent resistance on “Bloody Sunday,” and many others fought through countless works of activism. Their valiant efforts eventually resulted in the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which removed many of the legal barriers that restricted African Americans from voting.
Needless to say, the path to voting rights has not been an easy one and the fight is not yet over. In honor of the sacrifices made and the struggles endured by those who fought for our right to vote, we must exercise the privilege that we have been given. We should follow in the footsteps of the people who fought for what they believe in. Thanks to their actions, we have the vote--a tool with which we can bring about positive change. Remember the past, pave the future.