Mostly Only White Men Could Vote Before 1870

According to the text, what may be added to the Constitution to reflect a change in the American people's values and ideas?

• stories

• amendments

• essays

• songs

The text describes a sequence of important events in the United States' history. What happened on July 4, 1776?

• The United States Constitution was written.

• The colonists won the American Revolutionary War

• The Declaration of Independence was published.

• The Civil War began.

"The Constitution gave each state the power to conduct elections and to make the rules about how voting is done in that state. Some states did not want to give suffrage to groups they believed were not capable of choosing wise leaders or making good laws. Some states did not want African Americans, women, or white men who did not have property to vote."

What can be concluded about the state elections during this time period?

• They probably reflected the views of everyone in the state.

• They were probably very just and fair.

• They probably reflected the views of poor people, not rich people.

• They probably did not reflect the views of various groups of people.

Based on the text, how have voting rights changed over the course of United States' history?

• They have become more restricted to exclude more groups of people

• They have become increasingly less fair to white men who own property.

• They have expanded to include more groups of people.

• They have become increasingly more fair to citizens of other countries.

What is the main idea of this text?

• The United States Constitution became the law of the land a few years after the colonies gained their independence from England. This document set out the rules of government for the country as a whole.

• States in America used different requirements to keep certain groups from voting. However, amendments were added to the Constitution that gave the right to vote to more groups of people.

• Over the years, the American people changed their ideas about what is right and fair, and so the Constitution was changed to fit the changing times through the addition of amendments.

• Native Americans had lived on the land that became the United States for centuries before Europeans arrived. Starting in 1607, people from many parts of Europe went across the ocean to settle there.

"Some states did not want to give suffrage to groups they believed were not capable of choosing wise leaders or making good laws. Some states did not want African Americans, women, or white men who did not have property to vote."

What does the word "suffrage" most nearly mean based on the text?

• right to suffer

• right to vote

• right to pass laws

• right to run in elections

What groups did the Constitution's amendments give the right to vote? (there are 3!)

• women

• those over 18

• African American

• Native Americans

• White men

What is suffrage?

• right to vote

• right to practice any religion

• right to bear arms

• rights of white men to vote