Women
· The women’s fight for the right to vote officially began on 1848 in the Seneca Falls Convention in New York. Drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions was signed by 68 women and 32 men. This document demanded women equality with men in education and employment, and the right to vote.
· In 1869 the proposed 15th amendment which gave black men the right to vote made women more motivated to fight for their own right. In May, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton gathered women to form the National Woman Suffrage Association. Their mayor goal was to achieve voting rights for women by means of a congressional amendment to the Constitution. In November of that same year, another woman named Lucy Stone formed the American Woman Suffrage Association, which focused on gaining voting rights for women through amendments to individual state constitutions.
· In 1890 the two groups came together under the name of National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), to fight together for American women’s right to vote.
· Women kept fighting and finally gained the right to vote on August 26, 1920 when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was signed into law by Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby.
Statistics: About 55.3% of the female population in the US in 1968 voted. In 2008 65.7% of the female population in the US voted. Therefore the percent of the women who voted in 2008 and 1968 increased by 10.4%.
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| One of the Associations Formed by Women to Fight for their Voting Rights |
African Americans
- African Americans faced a lot of trouble when it came to their rights. Even though the 15th amendment granted them the right to vote in 1870, they still had to overcome certain obstacles placed by the whites who feared that African Americans would gain too much power. Some of these obstacles included poll taxes, literacy tests, and other bureaucratic impediments. Blacks who lived in the south also faced problems, when they tried to register to vote or actually vote, such as harassment, intimidation, economic reprisals, and physical violence.
- African Americans had to fight hard for their right to vote. They organized campaigns and peaceful protests to achieve equality. They moved to places, mostly northern cities, where they were allowed to vote without any problems and where politicians listened to their concerns. They finally achieved one of the things they most desired with the Civil Rights Act of 1957. This document was meant to protect the right to vote of African Americans.
Statistics: In 1968, about 42.1% of the African American population voted. In 2004, about 60.0% of the black population voted. In 2008, about 64.7% of the black population in the US voted. The percent African American voters increased over the years. From 1968 to 2004 it increased by 17.9%. From 2004 to 2008 it increased by 4.7%.
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| Protest for the Right to Vote |
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