Editor’s Note: This column is being re- ran because the last two paragraphs were inadvertently left out in the last edition of the Cibola Citizen.
The right to vote has been a struggle for many, since the first vote in 1789. Though women are an important part of society, they had to fight for this basic right. It took seventy years, since the first Women’s Voting Rights campaign, to gain the right. In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and many more women created the Declaration of Sentiments. This declaration called for women to have equal rights, specifying the right to vote.
Twenty-one years later, the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) was founded by Susan B. Anthony. This organization’s goal was to give women voting rights. During this time, the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) attempted to win the vote in each state.
To build momentum for women’s suffrage, many women organized rallies, marches, and petitions.
It wasn’t until the late 19th century and early 20th century, that stated started to grant women the right to vote in local and state elections. The first of these states was Wyoming, in 1869.
After World War I and seven decades of campaigning for women’s voting rights, people began to have different perspectives, which led to the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution being ratified.
However, the right for women to vote did not include every woman. There were still many barriers for African Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans.
When the Civil War ended and the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, Reconstruction Amendments were created to grant former slaves civil rights. The 14th Amendment granted them citizenship and the 15th prohibited denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous servitude. This even led to some African Americans being elected into political office.
However, these amendments wore off in the South, specifically when the Jim Crow Laws came along. These laws implemented discriminatory practices such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and understanding clauses, in hopes of disenfranchising African American voters. By the end of the 19th century, many African Americans were barred from voting.
The Civil Rights Movement began in the 1950s. Protests and campaigns were organized, showing the injustices they faced, especially in the South.
In 1964, they hoped to increase African American voter registration in Mississippi, but it resulted in a violent backlash. The same year, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 addressed discrimination but did not remove barriers to voting. The next year the Voting Rights Act was passed, specifically designed to protect the voting rights of African Americans, prohibited literacy tests and other discriminatory practices, and provided federal oversight of voter registration and elections.
The Voting Rights Act may have made quite a difference, but there were still challenges. Legal battles and legislative attempts to undermine these protections continue for decades.
The Supreme Court weakened key provisions of the Voting Rights Act in 2013. States were now able to create new voting laws without federal oversight.
The journey toward universal suffrage in the U.S. has involved significant milestones and ongoing challenges. While the 19th Amendment was a crucial victory for women's rights, it did not achieve full equality, particularly for groups facing barriers. The Civil Rights Movement and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 provided essential protections for African American voters, yet the fight for equitable access to the ballot continues. It's important to advocate for the rights of every individual to participate in democracy.
When I can vote in a couple of years, I will register and vote in every election. I will choose who I feel is right for the position and will do what is best for America.
“Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads.” Deuteronomy 1:13