This video was originally produced as part of "Suffrage and the Constitution" online course produced by the Center for the Constitution.
The 19th Amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote. Congress passed the amendment in June 1919. Suffragists lobbied local and state representatives to ensure its subsequent ratification by the states.
Scholars discuss a variety of different efforts promoting the abolition of slavery including the Black Abolitionist movement, and how the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) played a major role in the abolition movement even before the Revolutionary War.
This video was originally produced as part of "Slavery and the Constitution" online course produced by the Center for the Constitution.
By the 1880s, most southern states prevented African American men from voting by using a combination of laws, economic pressure, and intimidation. Disenfranchisement of African Americans was both politically and racially motivated.
This video was originally produced as part of "Suffrage in America" online course produced by the Center for the Constitution.
Following the Civil War, new laws and constitutional amendments expanded voting rights for African American men. Black political power expanded dramatically and African American men held public office and served in Congress. The passage of state laws in the 1870s reversed the political gains of African Americans in the south.
Scholars discuss Article III of the Constitution which specifies that the U.S. judicial system shall have one Supreme Court, and then leaves to Congress the decision about when to ñordain and establishî the lower (ñinferiorî) courts.
In the landmark case Barron v. Baltimore (1833), the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution's Bill of Rights restricts only the powers of the federal government and not those of the state governments.
White colonists bought and sold the labor of both white and black servants in the 17th-century Americas. As lifelong bondage of enslaved Africans became more financially viable, the indentured servitude of whites was phased out. Scholars provide contextual background to the development of race-based slavery in the New World.
Scholars discuss the impact of the case Shelby County v. Holder in eliminating the coverage formula of the Voting Rights Act. The coverage formula determined which jurisdictions had to ñpreclearî changes to their election rules with the federal government before implementing them, based on their history of race-based voter discrimination.
This video was originally produced as part of "Slavery and the Constitution" online course produced by the Center for the Constitution.
The right to vote was more widespread in the colonies than in England, due to the fact that property ownership was more widespread. Following the Declaration of Independence, several states reformed their voting procedures to allow all taxpaying, free, adult males the right to vote.
The Commerce Clause refers to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which gives Congress the power "to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes." the clause serves as the legal foundation of much of the U.S. government's regulatory power. Scholars discuss the notable Supreme Court case Gibbons v. Ogden.
Scholars discuss the tradition of English Common Law and how that influenced law in the American Colonies.
This video was originally produced as part of "Slavery and the Constitution" online course produced by the Center for the Constitution.
Scholars discuss the often difficult relationship between the federal judiciary and Congress.
Scholars explain how House and Senate produce appropriations bills to fund the federal government, and the major challenges to this process.
Congress divides its legislative, oversight, and internal administrative tasks among more than 200 committees and subcommittees. Scholars explain the main types of committees and what power they hold over legislation.
Scholars discuss the differences of authority between the Speaker of the House and the presiding officer of the Senate. They also discuss how leadership of both houses has changed over time.