Originally published in 1865, this book is a classic exploration of voting rights in the United States. Washburn argues that Congress has a constitutional duty to ensure that all citizens are able to exercise their right to vote, regardless of race or gender. He traces the history of voting rights in America from the Revolution to the Civil War, and examines the political and legal obstacles faced by suffragists and abolitionists. This is an important work for anyone interested in the history of American democracy and civil rights. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.