Question

Why was there a need to pass the Twenty-Fourth Amendment and the Voting Rights Act when the rights of American men and women of all races were already protected by the Fifteenth Amendment and Nineteenth Amendment, respectively? (A) Even though the right to vote was protected by the Constitution, many states still tried to make it almost impossible for minorities to exercise that right. (B) The laws were needed to make sure the "wrong type of people" couldn't vote. (C) The new laws were needed to make sure that minorities could read and write before they would be allowed to vote. (D) The new laws were needed to prevent people from voting twice.

Short answer

(A) Even though the right to vote was protected by the Constitution, many states still tried to make it almost impossible for minorities to exercise that right.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the Amendments and Act

Before we begin, we need to understand each amendment and act mentioned in the question. The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." The Nineteenth Amendment, ratified in 1920, gave women the right to vote. Now, let's look at the answer choices presented. We have to pick the one that corresponds to the actual historical reasons behind the enactment of the Twenty-Fourth Amendment and the Voting Rights Act.

Evaluating Each Answer Choice

(A) "Even though the right to vote was protected by the Constitution, many states still tried to make it almost impossible for minorities to exercise that right." This answer choice correctly acknowledges the struggle for suffrage despite legal protections. (B) "The laws were needed to make sure the 'wrong type of people' couldn't vote." This answer does not make sense in the context of the historical struggle for voting rights and attempts to expand suffrage, not limit it. (C) "The new laws were needed to make sure that minorities could read and write before they would be allowed to vote." This answer suggests that these laws were restrictive, when, in fact, they were meant to prevent restrictive practices. It gets dismissed too. (D) "The new laws were needed to prevent people from voting twice." This statement does not address the struggle for minority voting rights and is not historically accurate when applied to the Twenty-Fourth Amendment and the Voting Rights Act.

Selecting the Correct Answer

Based on our analysis in Step 2, the correct answer is (A). The Twenty-Fourth Amendment, ratified in 1964, outlawed poll taxes, which had often been levied to make it difficult for African Americans to vote. One year later, the Voting Rights Act was passed, aiming to overcome legal barriers that were still being used in some southern states to keep African Americans from exercising their right to vote, as granted by the Fifteenth Amendment.

Key concepts

Fifteenth Amendment

The Fifteenth Amendment, adopted in 1870, is a pivotal piece of constitutional legislation in United States history. It proclaims that the right to vote cannot be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. This amendment ensured that African American men had the legal right to vote, marking a significant victory for civil rights immediately following the Civil War.

Despite this clear directive, the following decades saw widespread implementation of measures that effectively disenfranchised many people of color. States imposed various discriminatory practices such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and other voter suppression tactics. These barriers highlighted the need for stricter enforcement of voting rights, which ultimately led to further legislation.

Twenty-Fourth Amendment

The Twenty-Fourth Amendment, ratified in 1964, directly addressed one of the most pervasive barriers to voting rights: the poll tax. Poll taxes were fees charged in order to vote, which disproportionately affected African American voters and those from less affluent communities. This amendment specifically eliminated poll taxes in federal elections, exemplifying the ongoing struggle to make the right to vote as accessible as possible for all citizens.

While this was a crucial step, some states still found ways around the amendment to continue discriminatory practices, mainly through voting laws that applied to state elections where the amendment did not reach. This is partly why the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was still necessary; it sought to address and eliminate these remaining obstacles.

Civil Rights

The term 'civil rights' refers to the rights of individuals to receive equal treatment under the law, which includes freedom from discrimination in a variety of settings such as employment, education, and voting. The struggle for civil rights in America, particularly for African Americans, has been a long and arduous one, marked by significant milestones and legislative victories.

Historical Struggles and Legacies

Despite the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment, numerous states enacted Jim Crow laws, leading to deep-seated inequality and segregation. The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s was a response to these persistent inequalities, demanding the enforcement and expansion of civil rights. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 can be seen as one of the crowning achievements of this movement, representing a legal commitment to ensuring all citizens could exercise their voting rights without undue burden.

Voting Rights

Voting rights encompass the privileges and laws surrounding the ability of citizens to participate in their government by voting. Fundamental to democracy, these rights have been contested and expanded over the course of American history.

The Ever-evolving Landscape of Voting

The Nineteenth Amendment, introduced in 1920, expanded these rights to women, affirming their suffrage. However, even with constitutional amendments, practical barriers remained. The Twenty-Fourth Amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were critical in dismantling those barriers, but the effort to protect voting rights is an ongoing process. These pieces of legislation highlight both the progress that has been made and the work that still remains in ensuring that all citizens can freely exercise their right to vote without interference or discrimination.