Lesson 7-9: Equal Rights Amendments & Voting Rights Amendments

Introduction

Voting Rights within the United States Constitution are known as the Suffrage Amendments.

These are the 15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, and 26th amendments.

Focus Questions:

What are the Suffrage Amendments?

What rights did the 15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, and 26th amendments give? To whom? 

Suffrage Amendments

The right to vote is called suffrage. Although most people today see suffrage as a given right for everyone, this was not always the case. Throughout history, only certain people were allowed to vote. White males who owned land were the first given this right. Because of their wealth, they were thought of as having the most knowledge about how a government should run. Eventually, all-white male citizens were allowed to vote. 

Before the 15th Amendment was passed in 1870, only a few states let Black males vote. Women also struggled to get the right to vote. In 1920 the 19th Amendment finally granted them suffrage.

Sometimes people had trouble being able to use their right to vote. Southern states would often use poll taxes and reading tests as a way to keep African Americans from voting. However, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 put an end to these practices.

  In your journal:  Print the notes page and complete it as you go through the slides. If you do not have access to a printer, another option is to draw/write your notes page in your social studies journal.

Equal Rights & Voting Rights Amendments Notes Download Equal Rights & Voting Rights Amendments Notes

View the slideshow below to learn more about the amendments that granted suffrage to ALL individuals

Assignment

For this activity, you will use what you have just learned to create a comic strip that summarizes the Suffrage Amendments. Please take a look at the directions below. You will print and use the comic strip boxes. If you do not have access to a printer, feel free to draw/create your own boxes on copy paper. Remember- you need at least 5 boxes. Feel free to take a look at real-life comics for inspiration.

Directions:

  • Focus on the key details
  • Write a summary of each amendment and include a comic-like picture that illustrates the amendment.
  • Translate your summary into text and dialogue using the comic template I have provided. Please do a rough draft first! Remember- comics sometimes have speech bubbles 
  • NEATLY color your comic and add your text and dialogue.
  • Cut and paste your comic squares onto your final comic board (construction or copy paper).
  • If you choose, you may create your comic strip digitally. However, it needs to be on a platform that will allow you to download your comic strip so you may upload it to Canvas.
  • Upload an image of your final comic strip on the assignment page

Suffrage Amendment Comic Strip Directions Download Suffrage Amendment Comic Strip Directions

Comic Strip Boxes Download Comic Strip Boxes

Go to the next page to submit the Suffrage Amendment Comic Strip assignment

You have the next two social studies class times (3 days total) to work on this assignment.