Further Readings
Role of Media
-
The Great Debates of Nixon and Kennedy: October 21, 1960
Do you watch any election coverage on TV? On October 21, 1960, American viewers were riveted to their television sets for the broadcast of the fourth and final debate between Vice President Richard M. Nixon, the Republican presidential candidate, and Senator John F. Kennedy, the Democratic candidate. Read more »
-
On elections, young Americans turn to YouTube
Americans are following this year’s election on the Internet. Over the past year, they’ve watched more than 110 million hours of election content on the YouTube video site. That, YouTube says, is 100 times more hours viewed than election content viewed on U.S. cable news channels C-SPAN, CNN, MSNBC and Fox News combined, ever. Read more »
Equal Rights to Vote
-
‘The disability vote counts’
The whole point of democratic elections is that everybody gets to vote. With its large and diverse population, the U.S. has to make constant and ongoing efforts to address any obstacle that keeps eligible voters from voting. Read more »
-
Susan B. Anthony Supports Women’s Suffrage Amendment
You have probably heard about the new $1 coin with Sacajawea on it, but did you know that in 1979 the United States had another dollar coin? That year, the U.S. issued a silver coin worth $1 that had an image of Susan B. Anthony on one side. Who was Susan B. Anthony? Here's a hint: she helped pave the way to give American women the right to vote. Read more »
-
Women's Right to Vote
“I stand before you under indictment for the alleged crime of having voted at the last presidential election, without having a lawful right to vote. It shall be my work this evening to prove to you that in thus doing, I not only committed no crime, but instead simply exercised my citizen's rights, guaranteed to me and all United States citizens by the National Constitution beyond the power of any State to deny.” Read more »
-
Nineteenth Amendment Granting Women's Suffrage Was Sent to the States
Do you ever hear people talking about voting or elections? Could you imagine if only men could vote but women could not? More than likely, when your great grandmother was young, she wasn't allowed to vote, even though your great grandfather could. Read more »
-
Carrie Burnham Argued for the Right to Vote
Can you imagine not being allowed to vote once you reach eighteen years of age? Because she was a woman in the 19th century, teacher and physician Carrie S. Burnham (later Kilgore) was denied that right. Burnham took her argument to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on April 4, 1873. Read more »
Elephants and Donkeys
-
Political Animals: Republican Elephants and Democratic Donkeys
Politicians and parties may flip-flop but for more than 100 years, the political iconography of the Democratic donkey and the Republican elephant has remained unchanged. Read more »
-
First Republican Elephant
During the 1864 presidential election, an image of an elephant was published in the pro-Lincoln campaign newspaper, Father Abraham. Since “seeing the elephant” was slang among Civil War soldiers for engaging in combat, the symbol was a natural choice for honoring successful military campaigns. Read more »