On This Day

The Timeline of Voting Rights

1776 - Voting is controlled by individual state legislatures. Only white men age 21 and older who own land can vote.

1868 - The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants full citizenship rights, including voting rights, to all men born or naturalized in the United States.

1870 - The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution eliminates racial barriers to vote. Native Americans are still denied the right to vote.

1920 - The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives women the right to vote nationwide.

1924 - The Indian Citizenship Act grants Native Americans citizenship and voting rights.

1964 - The federal Civil Rights Act is passed to ensure that all men and women age 21 and older, regardless of race, religion, or education, have the right to vote.

1971 - The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution lowers the voting age to 18.