Contested Franchise
Amendment:
A modification to a national constitution that changes the terms of governance.
Electorate:
That part of a citizenry that has the right to vote.
Naturalized Citizen:
A person who was not born a citizen of a nation, but has undergone a legal process to become a citizen.
Rights: Americans before the Civil War understood different classes of rights. Civil rights included the ability for any citizen to get married, engage in contracts, and have property protected. Political rights meant the ability to serve on juries, run for office, and to vote. Citizenship conferred civil rights but did not automatically mean political rights.
Suffrage and Franchise:
The right to vote in a political election.
Electorate:
That part of a citizenry that has the right to vote.
Naturalized Citizen:
A person who was not born a citizen of a nation, but has undergone a legal process to become a citizen.
Rights: Americans before the Civil War understood different classes of rights. Civil rights included the ability for any citizen to get married, engage in contracts, and have property protected. Political rights meant the ability to serve on juries, run for office, and to vote. Citizenship conferred civil rights but did not automatically mean political rights.
Suffrage and Franchise:
The right to vote in a political election.