The Right to Vote

08The Right to Vote Throughout history, humans are given many rights, for instance, the freedom of speech, religion, and many more. But one that stuck out to me lately and recently took an influence on my life was the right to vote. I did indeed vote because this past election was a historic election and also because later on down the road, I didn't want to be the one complaining about something that I could have changed or helped by voting. Ever since the United States became independent, people were given the right to vote, but only white land-owners. Back then, slaves had no rights and women simply didn't have the right to vote. After the Civil War, on December 6, 1865, the thirteenth amendment was ratified and slaves were free and slavery shall not exist in the United States. Passing of the thirteenth Amendment would lead to the forthteenth Amendment being ratified three years later on July 9, 1868 saying that all "men" born in the United States and of the State where they live would be a citizen, giving every man, including African American men, citizenship rights. After this, a year and a half later on February 3, 1870, the fifthteenth Amendment was ratified giving every man the right to vote and should not be denied by the United States or by any State because of race, skin color, or previous conditions of servitude. With this Amendment being passed gave previous slaves and poor whites all the right to vote. Women didn't get the right to vote until another fifty years later after African Americans and poor whites were given the right. As far back as 1848, groups of women would join together to discuss how to further women rights. Susan B. Anthony was one big influence on ending women suffrage and actually tried to vote and was later fined for doing so. After seventy-two years of trying to get women rights, on August 18, 1920, The Congress ratified the nineteenth Amendment, ending women suffrage, saying all humans were created equal and shall not be