Democracy for All?

It is a fallacy that the United States has always supported a right to vote and elect leaders for all citizens. In truth, there have been more years when large groups of this nation were locked out of voting then those with voting rights for most.

On June 21, 1776 when the newly formed nation took up the issue, most of the new states restricted voting to white men, older than 21, who were Protestant, and owned property.

On February 3, 1870 voting was extended to Black men, a right not officially revoked but extremely limited under Jim Crow statutes, including poll taxes.

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