Voting in American Society

(Civil Rights Movement and 21st C.)

PBAT Questions:

  • Has voter suppression affected American history?

  • Is voting an important right in American society?

Guide for Voting Rights PBAT

Is voting an important right in American society?


Your research is in the next sections of this webpage

Historical Background

Timeline of voting

  • https://www.sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/history-of-voting-in-america-timeline.pdf

Jim Crow laws in the American South

Historic suppression of the Black (African American) and Female vote in American History

When Women started voting, some things changed

  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/lifestyle/100-years-of-womens-suffrage-whats-changed/

Reactions by Civil Rights Movement to change this

March from Selma to Montgomery, "Bloody Sunday"

  • https://www.cnn.com/2013/09/15/us/1965-selma-to-montgomery-march-fast-facts/index.html

Fannie Lou Hamer tried to register to vote - 1960s

Ella Baker and the foundations of SNCC

SNCC and Voter Registration

John Lewis

Malcolm X "The Ballot or the Bullet" Speech

  • https://www.pbs.org/video/american-experience-ballot-or-bullet/

Women's Suffrage (vote)

  • https://www.womenshistory.org/resources/timeline/womans-suffrage-timeline

Rebuttal or other evidence

If voting doesn't matter, why do they try to take it away all the time?

  • https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/07/is-america-a-democracy-if-so-why-does-it-deny-millions-the-vote

The most people of all time in American History voted in November 2020.

What does it mean for politicians if more people vote?

2021 Suppression all over again

Additional WEBSITES for primary and secondary sources


Films based on events you might find interesting

  • Eyes on the Prize (documentary series on YouTube)

  • Selma

  • Hidden Figures

  • Greenbook

  • Mississippi Burning

  • Malcolm X

  • The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (on Netflix)