4. The right to vote is the heart of the American dream
When the Constitution went into effect in 1789, with limited exceptions, only white men who owned property could vote. At the time they represented approximately 6% of the population of the country. Over the next five decades, several states abolished the requirement for property ownership, the first being Kentucky in 1792. In the 1840 Presidential election, 80% of eligible voters cast ballots, a number unattained since. The right to vote became the symbol of freedom in America. That and economic opportunity lured the citizens of less open countries in Europe to set their sights on moving to America. Even if they never obtained the right to vote in the United States, their children born in America were automatically US citizens.
America’s struggle with voting rights is long, complex, and laced with sexist and racist overtones. Yet it is the basis of American freedom. When the Constitution went into effect it was like no other document in the world. It guaranteed some Americans the right to a voice in their government, and the number of Americans allowed to participate in their democracy expanded ever since. The right to vote is no longer unique to Americans, and truly never was, since the British elected Members of Parliament before the Revolution. The rest of American history is not understandable without knowledge of the basic right, presented to young children easily and clearly.