The 15th, 19th, and 26th Amendments to the United States Constitution all address the expansion of voting rights and elimination of barriers to suffrage for specific groups. Here's how they are similar:
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Focus on Voting Rights: All three amendments aim to protect and expand citizens' right to vote. They prohibit discrimination based on specific characteristics and ensure broader participation in the democratic process.
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Historical Context of Disenfranchisement:
- 15th Amendment (ratified in 1870): Prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." It was a response to the disenfranchisement of African American men following the Civil War.
- 19th Amendment (ratified in 1920): Grants women the right to vote, prohibiting any U.S. citizen from being denied the right to vote on the basis of sex. This amendment was the culmination of a long women's suffrage movement.
- 26th Amendment (ratified in 1971): Lowers the voting age to 18, ensuring that citizens who are 18 years or older cannot be denied the right to vote based on age. This amendment reflects the social changes and activism of the 1960s, particularly the context of the Vietnam War.
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Constitutional Foundation: Each amendment serves as a constitutional guarantee against laws that would restrict voting for the specified groups, reinforcing the principle of equal access to the electoral process.
Overall, the common theme among these amendments is the commitment to making voting more inclusive and combating discrimination, thereby strengthening democracy in the United States.