Poll Taxes & Literacy Tests: Voting Rights Barriers in America

This Poll Taxes & Literacy Tests: Voting Rights Barriers in America resource teaches students the impact of poll taxes and literacy tests on voting rights in American History, and it discusses how the 24th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 expanded voting rights to Americans of all races. An engaging two-page reading passage introduces a history of voter suppression in America, as well as the Civil Rights Era fight for voting rights, with an emphasis on poll taxes, literacy tests, the 24th Amendment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Four pages of review worksheets cover key vocabulary, comprehension questions, and a picture analysis with primary source images from the Civil Rights Era! This resource makes a perfect lesson for middle and high school students studying Voting Rights in their Civics, American History, or American Government classes.

Compatible with the Florida State Standard for Middle School Civics:

• SS.7.CG.2.3 Identify and apply the rights contained in the Bill of Rights and other amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

This Poll Taxes & Literacy Tests: Voting Rights Barriers in America resource includes:

 ✯ The Voting Rights Barriers in America Two-Page Article. This engaging, easy-to-read article focuses on two main voting barriers, poll taxes and literacy tests, as well as two major pieces of legislation that banned the practices: the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Vocabulary words used throughout the article include: Reconstruction Era, Jim Crow Laws, poll tax, literacy test, segregation, Grandfather Clause, the 24^th Amendment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

The article can be read aloud with students, or students can read independently, highlighting key concepts and vocabulary.

After reading, students will understand how and why the fight against voter suppression in America lasted over one hundred years, as well as appreciate the various ways voter suppression tactics disenfranchised Americans across the country. The article details poll taxes, literacy tests and the grandfather clause, the 24th Amendment, the Civil Rights Era, including Martin Luther King Jr.’s Bloody Sunday march on Selma, Alabama, and how that march led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. After this quick, but comprehensive overview, students will have a firm foundation in voter suppression tactics used in American History and how they were defeated.

 ✯ The Voting Rights Barriers in America Comprehension Review. This three-page review covers key vocabulary from the article, as well as short-answer comprehension questions and a thoughtful reflection with a primary source quote from Martin Luther King Jr.!

This Comprehension Review includes:

• A Vocabulary Match with the terms: Reconstruction Era, Jim Crow Laws, Segregation, Poll Tax, Literacy Test, Grandfather Clause, the 24^th Amendment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965
• A snippet of a Louisiana Literacy Test from 1964. Students can try their hand at the difficult questions in this literacy test, and gain a better appreciation for how this intentionally difficult test would have prevented many people from voting.
• Two pages of comprehension questions pulled directly from the article, with an emphasis on the purpose and impact of the voting barriers and voting rights legislation.
• A short-answer reflection question. Students read a primary source quote from Martin Luther King Jr. and connect it to the fight for voting rights in America.

Sample comprehension questions include:

• How were poll taxes used to suppress the vote? Who was most affected by poll taxes?
• What was the purpose of the Voting Rights Act of 1965? Can you give an example of how the Voting Rights Act fulfilled this purpose? 
• How were literacy tests used as a barrier to voting? How could someone get around having to take a literacy test? 

 ✯ Finally, a Voting Barriers in America Picture Analysis reviews key vocabulary by connecting vocab words to primary source images from American History!

Students analyze and describe four primary source images from American History (including an original poll tax receipt!) and explain each image’s connection to voting rights in America.

The vocabulary in this picture analysis includes: Poll taxes, literacy tests, Reconstruction Era, and Jim Crow Laws.

This resource comes as a non-editable, printable PDF. A digital version is available through TPT Easel. All answer keys are included in the PDF!

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