Rhode Island was the only state after 1840 that did not have universal enfranchisement of white men. So, Thomas Wilson Dorr convened a "People's Convention" to draft a new state constitution that allowed all white men to vote. This led to a brief civil war in the state.

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Voting reform took place slowly after 1790, with the property requirement slowly being phased out.

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Suffrage in the original thirteen states expanded greatly after 1790 and many of the original states eliminated property requirements gradually over the nineteenth century, but they often required payment of taxes and had residency requirements.

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Thomas Paine, with his characteristically sharp wit, pointed out some problems with the property requirement for voting.

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Who was allowed to vote during the early years of the American republic? It depended on where you lived.

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What legacy of Greek and Roman democracy did the colonists inherit? Find out on today's episode.

Center for Civic Education

How did the right to vote gradually expand in the United States? Find out on today's podcast.

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Prohibition was an agent of profound social change.

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The Eighteenth Amendment launched an era known as Prohibition and the birth of a new industry.

Center for Civic Education

The Eighteenth Amendment launched an era known as Prohibition and the birth of a new industry.

Center for Civic Education