what amendment allowed 18 year olds to vote

Dear Educators,

The Pedagogy and Public Programs Team at the Nixon Library is pleased to remind you that the National Athenaeum and Records Assistants (NARA) continues to exist an fantabulous source for entertaining and historical content! Just follow the links below for boosted data.

The 26th Amendment

Ratified in July 1971, the 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution lowered the voting age of U.Due south. citizens from 21 to 18 years old.

"...the right of citizens of the United States, who are xviii years of age or older, to vote shall non be denied or abridged past the Usa or by any State on account of age." Section I, Subpoena 26 of the U.Southward. Constitution"

Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United states of america extending the right to vote to citizens eighteen years of age or older, Public Laws, 92nd Congress, 1st Session; General Records of the United States Government; Tape Grouping xi. National Archives and Records Administration

Sentiment to lower the nation's voting historic period dates dorsum to WWII. Every bit American involvement in the war increased, President Roosevelt sought to increment the size of the nation'south armed services and lowered the draft age of immature men from 21 to 18 years quondam. Many were dismayed at the notion that if young men could fight and die for their country, they could not participate in its fundamental democratic procedure - voting."One-time enough to fight, former plenty to vote" became a widespread slogan, eventually prompting a proposal for a constitutional amendment to give eighteen-year-olds the correct to vote. The proposal, however, failed to proceeds political traction.

Secretary of State of war Henry Stimson is blindfolded as he draws the first number for the nation's outset peacetime military draft lottery in Washington on Oct. 29, 1940. Behind the lectern at left is President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was to denote the offset number drawn. | AP Photo

"The eastern earth it is explodin'

Violence flarin', bullets loadin'

You're erstwhile enough to impale but not for votin'"

-"Eve of Destruction" Song by Barry McGuire (1965)

Photograph 127-N-A371493: Vietnam...Marines riding atop an M-48 tank cover their ears as a 90mm gun fires during a road sweep southwest of Phu Bai: 4/iii/1968; Full general Photo File of the U.S. Marine Corps, 1927 - 1981; Records of the U.S. Marine Corps, Record Group 127; National Archives at College Park, MD. NAID 532483

By 1965, the United states of america became more heavily and directly involved with the war in Vietnam. Overall public back up for the conflict began to wane considerably every bit American casualties rose. The conduct of the war increasingly came into question. By the cease of the decade, anti-state of war protests were widespread as thousands of eighteen-yr-old Americans were again being conscripted into war machine service to fight - and die - for their country."Old enough to fight, old enough to vote," the slogan get-go heard during World War Ii, was again adopted by student activists.

Demonstration for reduction in voting age, Seattle, 1969. Image courtesy of MOHAI, Seattle Mail-Intelligencer Collection, 1986.5.50631, photo by Tom Barlet.

A renewed emphasis on lowering the voting historic period to 18 once again became a hot political topic. In April 1970, as part of legislation to extend the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Congress controversially lowered the voting age to eighteen. Although personally supportive of the issue, President Nixon felt information technology was the right of u.s. and non the federal government to set the voting age. President Nixon nevertheless signed the act, but in Dec of 1970, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress had overstepped its bounds. Fearing confusion as to who would be able to vote in the 1972 election, Congress quickly proposed and surprisingly passed a constitutional amendment permanently lowering the voting historic period to xviii. Ratification of the amendment by the states was completed within iv months - the fastest in ratification history.

On July fifth, 1971, in a ceremony in the White Business firm East Room, in forepart of the 500-member choral group Young Americans in Concert, President Richard Nixon signed the certified amendment forth with three selected 18-year-olds signing as witnesses.

On seven/five/1971, in a ceremony held in the East Room, the amendment was certified (signed) past the Full general Services Administrator, Robert L. Kunzig, followed past President Nixon and 18-year-quondam students from "Young Americans in Concert" (Julianne Jones, Joseph W. Loyd, Jr., and Paul S. Larimer) signing equally witnesses. WHPO-6749-09A

Using DocsTeach, the National Archives' online tool for teaching activities through primary resources, we invite yous and your students to look further into how the 26th Amendment came to be through the teaching activity "Lowering the Voting Age: Nixon and the 26th Amendment." This activity encourages students to recall critically about the history and importance of the 26th Amendment that granted the right to vote to American citizens aged eighteen or older.

Please feel free to contact us at NixonEducation@nara.gov if you have any questions.

Stayed tuned for regular updates from the Nixon Library Education and Public Programs Team.

Sincerely,

The Nixon Library Pedagogy and Public Programs Team

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Source: https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/news/26th-amendment

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