Amendments: 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, and 26th

Civil War Amendments: 3 were passed as a result of the Civil War

Amendment Name Year Ratified

Purpose

13th: Abolish slavery 1865 End slavery in the US (after Civil War)Freed thousands of African AmericansOutlawed forced labor (except as consequences to crime)

14th: Citizenship 1868 Citizenship defined~“born or naturalized in the US”Every state grant “equal protection of laws”Bill of Rights extended to state and federal laws~States may not pass laws that interfere with rights granted by Federal (Constitution/Bill of Rights)

15th:African Americans Vote

1870 Gives African Americans the right to vote~suffrage (right to vote)~only men

Note: In 1896, the Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” public facilities for African Americans and whites were legal. The court reversed that decision in 1954 with Brown vs. Board of Education (desegregating schools) stating that segregation is unconstitutional according to the 14th amendment.

Side Note: Native Americans did not have the right to vote until 1924. Before that, they were considered conquered people with their own government. Congress passed laws granting US citizenship to Native Americans in 1924.

Significance/importance of the 14th Amendment~It guarantees all citizens equal treatment,

thereby protecting minorities from abuse

~Throughout history, many groups were denied equal treatment of the law. Amendment 14 has been used to protect the rights of women, people with disabilities, and other whose rights have been denied or abused.

 

Voting Rights and Elections: Amendment Name

Year Ratified

Purpose

17th: Electing Senators

1913 Allow voters to elect not only the House of Reps but to now allow voters to elect senatorsThis gives citizens more voice in the government

19th: Women Vote 1920 Gives women the right to vote in all national and state elections as well as granting full citizenship alongside men.Constitution did not grant women suffrage (right to vote)…but many states used Amendment 10 to create their own laws (not allowing women votes). ~Wyoming gave women right to vote in 1869 but not all states did.

23rd: 1961 Washington, DC (Nation’s Capital) is not part of any state but is the District of Columbia (between MD and VA). Its residents were not allowed to vote in national elections (since it was not a state)…this amendment allows residents to vote like all other citizens

24th: Abolish Poll Tax

1964 Since some implemented the poll tax: a sum of money paid in exchange for the right to cast a ballot; many African Americans and poor whites were still unable to vote…this amendment abolished the poll taxes making it illegal to have poll taxes in all national elections.The Supreme Court 2 years later ruled that poll taxes were illegal for states as well

26th: Voting Age 1971 Lowered minimum voting age from 21 to 18 for all elections.

Explain how the 17th Amendment gave Americans a greater say in their government

~It allowed Americans to elect their senators directly as they do with the House of Representatives

 ~The House and Senate make up the

legislative branch (creates laws for our country)…voting for both gives Americans more voice in the government