Voting Amendments
What is the 15th Amendment?
all men have the right to vote
How did poll taxes and literacy tasks prevent African Americans from voting?
African Americans could not afford the poll tax and were not educated to pass the literacy task
What is an amendment?
a change or an addition to the U.S. Constitution
How does the U.S. Constitution protect the rights of U.S. citizens?
It lays out a guide to how the government should govern the people, and outlines our basic rights (first 10 amendments)
What is "due process of law"?
ensures a person who committed a crime is treated fairly
What is the 19th amendment?
all women have the right to vote
How did the end of the Civil War lead to the 15th amendment?
now that African American men were no longer slaves, they were given the right to vote
Why must there be amendments to the constitution?
our U.S Constitution should keep up with current times and reflect the needs of people today, so changes must be made
What is a responsibility?
something a person must do
Which branch of the U.S. government must enforce due process of the law?
judicial branch
What is the 23rd amendment?
Washington, DC is not a state but has 3 electoral votes
What events led to the 19th amendment?
What is the first step in the amendment process?
2/3 of the House and Senate must approve the proposed amendment
What is one responsibility of a U.S. citizen?
follow all state and federal laws/participate in the democratic process/pay taxes/serve as a jury member
How does the U.S. Constitution protect a citizen's right to due process?
innocent until proven guilty/appropriate search and seizure/fair and speedy trial/punishment must match the crime
What is the 24th amendment?
no poll tax
How did the Vietnam War lead to the passing of the 26th Amendment?
People felt if they were old enough to fight in the war (18 years old) then they should be allowed to vote and have a say in U.S. politics
What is the second step of the amendment process?
3/4 of the states must vote to ratify the amendment
Describe how a person can participate in the political process.
voting in elections
Define a fair and speedy trial
unbiased jury and the trial cannot be dragged out (prolonged)
What is the 26th amendment?
voting age is 18
How did the Civil Rights Movement lead to the 24th amendment?
African Americans were fighting for equal rights, including voting rights. Poll taxes were still preventing African Americans from voting in the south, so the 24th amendment eliminated that poll tax
What does it mean to "ratify" an amendment?
approve
What is a basic right protected by the U.S. constitution?
freedom of speech/religion/press/assembly, a person can only be tried once for a crime, right to bear arms, fair and speedy trial with a free lawyer, no cruel or unusual punishment
Define search and seziure
a person can be searched (or a place related to the person) and items can be taken (seized).