The history of voting rights in America is a complex narrative of struggle, sacrifice, and gradual progress toward a more inclusive democracy. Although the right to vote is often celebrated as a democratic cornerstone, it was originally exclusive, limited to property-owning white men, and excluded women, Black people, Indigenous groups, and others. Over centuries, however, groups denied this right mounted intense movements to secure representation.
The journey began with the American Revolution, progressing through the Civil War and the ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, which abolished slavery and promised equal rights for Black men. However, these rights were undermined by Jim Crow laws that suppressed Black voting