In the turmoil surrounding the unpopular Vietnam War, lowering the national voting age became a controversial topic. Responding to arguments that those old enough to be drafted for military service, should be able to exercise the right to vote, Congress lowered the voting age as part of the Voting Rights Act of 1970.
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What history and events led to the ratification of the 26th Amendment?
In the turmoil surrounding the unpopular Vietnam War, lowering the national voting age became a controversial topic. Responding to arguments that those old enough to be drafted for military service, should be able to exercise the right to vote, Congress lowered the voting age as part of the Voting Rights Act of 1970.
Did the 14th Amendment let slaves vote?
Section 2 of the 14th Amendment removed this law from the Constitution, giving freed slaves full weight as citizens. The only adult male citizens who were denied the right to vote were those convicted of crimes.
What was the vote count on the 14th Amendment?
The House passed the 14th Amendment (H.J. Res. 127) by a vote of 128 to 37, 19 not voting.
Which amendments deal with voting rights?
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, gave American women the right to vote.
- The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, eliminated poll taxes. The tax had been used in some states to keep African Americans from voting in federal elections.
- The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age for all elections to 18.
What was the point of the 26th Amendment?
The Twenty-sixth Amendment (Amendment XXVI) to the United States Constitution prohibits the states and the federal government from using age as a reason for denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States who are at least eighteen years old.
What year was the 26th Amendment ratified?
1971
Why was the amendment passed?
Since 1789, the United States has added 27 amendments to the Constitution. An amendment is a change to the Constitution. These first amendments were designed to protect individual rights and liberties, like the right to free speech and the right to trial by jury.
Where was the 26th amendment finally passed?
Endorsed by Speaker Carl Albert of Oklahoma, the amendment passed the House by a vote of 401 to 19, on March 23, 1971. The state legislatures in Ohio and North Carolina were the last to approve the amendment before official ratification took effect on July 1, 1971.
Did the 14th Amendment give voting rights?
The 14th Amendment, which conferred citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, was ratified in 1868. In 1870 the 15th Amendment was ratified, which provided specifically that the right to vote shall not be denied or abridged on the basis of race, color or previous condition of servitude.
How did the 14th amendment deal with voting rights?
How did the Fourteenth Amendment deal with voting rights? Congress could punish states that excluded voters on the basis of race. The Fourteenth Amendment gave Congress the right to reduce the congressional representation of states that withheld suffrage on the basis of race.
What do the 15th 19th and 26th amendments have in common?
What do the 15th, 19th, and 26th amendments have in common? A. The expanded voting rights in the United States. They limited the rights of immigrants to vote.