Why You Should Vote

4. A History of Voting in the United States

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In this episode Eli and Sonia will give you a brief history of voting in the United States. The history of voting is long and fraught with struggle. We won’t go in depth into any specific piece of history, but we’ll give you an idea of the timeline that has resulted in your right to vote. We’ll take you from the Revolutionary Era through the Civil War and Reconstruction, and on to the Women’s Suffrage and Civil Rights movements.

Links

Links are coming soon! Keep an eye on this space or go to whyyoushouldvote.com for updates.

Homework

Your homework this week is to connect your family and community history to the history of voting.

  • Ask your parents or grandparents if they remember the Civil Rights movement, or the passage of the 26th Amendment during the Vietnam War. How did they feel about it? Did they participate in any way?
  • See if you can find out anything about local efforts to secure the vote for disenfranchised groups. (Your local library or historical society may have something on local history which the librarians can help you find.)
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