Amendment 24 (1964)
Translation: Every one has the right to vote on elections for office without paying a poll tax placed by the state. The US. Congress has the power to enforce this law.
History: This Amendment came to be because 100 years after slaves were freed and given their rights, many still were not allowed to vote. To keep poor African Americans from voting, Southern states made a poll tax. A poll tax is a tax placed on voting. If you could not pay this poll tax you could not vote. In 1939 Congress started working on eliminating the poll tax. Not until 1963 was the Amendment passed in congress and in 1964 it became law of the land.
Personal meaning: To me this was the last political step in making African Americans equal. They are still miss-treated throughout the U.S. but at least they are viewed equal in the eyes of the government. It amazes me that this law was not passed until the 1960s!
