The Right To Vote

The right to vote has been a continuous uphill battle in our country's history. Being a democracy you would expect the opposite yet there have been obstacles keeping the right to vote from people throughout our country's history. In the early days, only white men who owned property could vote. This seems hypocritical for an age of revolutionary ideas over equality and freedom after being liberated from a tyrannical king. And yet only in 1920women were granted the right to vote, after decades of being silenced they were finally given the voice they had fought for so long. Despite the right to vote being granted to all in 1870 under the 15th amendment, stating the right to vote cannot be denied on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude; the voting rights act of 1964 and 1965 outlawed the discriminatory voting practices that challenged African American voting in the south including poll taxes and literacy tests. The fight behind the passing of these acts was the civil rights movement and the famous march on Washington D.C. led by Martin Luther King Jr. followed by 200,000 people of all races standing behind the cause for equal voting rights and equality in America after the Jim Crow laws in the south. This famous march included the more famous “I have a dream” speech by Mr. King which stands as a beacon of freedom and equality that inspires Americans today to stand for their rights and the rights of others. The right to vote is an essential part of our democracy in America. As a country that stands for freedom, the right to have a voice is the essence of America. That voice is what the revolutionaries fought for, so why have there been so many battles that the people have fought for such a principal part of what it means to be American?