History of Voting in the United States: Create a Virtual Exhibit

Activity 2: Chronological Thinking: The Expansion and Contraction of Franchise Between the Reconstruction Amendments and the Granting of Women's Suffrage

  1. Watch the introductory movie together as a class http://objectofhistory.org/objects/intro/votingmachine, then discuss the information presented in the film about the history of voting in the United States and the role of the 1898 Standard voting machine.
  2. Visit the Virtual Object section in the Introduction. Ask students to remember the importance of closely examining objects when using them as historical evidence. Provide them with a few minutes to use the Quicktime Virtual Reality version of the 1898 Standard voting machine. http://www.objectofhistory.org/objects/onyourown/votingmachine.
  3. Allow students to spend time examining the sources in the Explore section of the 1898 Standard voting machine Object Lesson http://www.objectofhistory.org/objects/explore/votingmachine/. Remind students that the Explore section contains primary and secondary sources, organized into three main categories:
    1. The Object category contains sources related to the 1898 Standard voting machine as a piece of material culture.
    2. The Object in History category contains sources related to the place of the 1898 Standard voting machine within the context of the history of voting in United States history.
    3. The Object in the Museum category contains information related to how the National Museum of American History acquired and displayed 1898 Standard voting machine.
  4. Remind students that the video clips of the curators discussing the objects constitute the secondary sources on the site. All the other materials are primary sources.
  5. Remind students that each primary source is accompanied by supporting information that is essential to critical historical thinking. First, at the top of the source, is an annotation that provides contextual information. Second, at the bottom of the same, is the sourcing information, including author, title, and date of creation. Instruct students to consider all of this information carefully as they work.
  6. Remind students that primary sources and curator interviews from the Explore section are organized into two thematic tours. The brief tour deals with voter reform and machine politics. The extended tour deals with the expansion and contraction of the franchise between the Reconstruction amendments and the granting of women's suffrage.
  7. Ask students to explore, the Tour, the Object, and the Object in History sections of the website. Begin the activity by making sure that students understand the meaning of the term franchise. As you proceed through the lesson make sure to use the phrase "the right to vote" interchangeably with the term franchise.
  8. Ask students to explore the objects, documents, and quotes featured in the extended tour.
  9. Discuss how suffrage was determined in the years prior to the passage of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution.
  10. Together create a timeline on the chalkboard/whiteboard that portrays the expansion and contraction of voting rights between the Reconstruction amendments and the granting of women's suffrage. Make sure that some of the points on the timeline refer to:
    1. objects and interviews featured in the website
    2. methods opponents of the expansion of voting rights used to prevent African Americans and women from gaining the vote or voting
    3. 15th Amendment - Race No Bar to Vote - ratified in 1870 "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."
    4. 19th Amendment - Women's Suffrage - ratified 1920 "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 sex."
  11. Though the 24th and 26th Amendments to the Constitution are not featured in the historical documents make sure that students include them on the timeline
    1. 24th Amendment -Poll Tax Barred - ratified 1964 "1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax."
    2. 26th Amendment -Voting Age Set to 18 Years- ratified 1971 "1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.