Question

Where did the colonists get the idea that only male land owners should vote?

Answer 1

The colonists and early Americans got the idea that only male land owners should vote from England. Voting in England during pre-1832 was dependent on three criteria – sex, age and property. Only men over the age of 21 were allowed to vote – and only if they owned property over a certain value. It was essentially a way of making voting a rich man’s privilege, reinforced by small boroughs having more MPs than larger counties, which were predominantly inhabited by poorer workers. The Great Reform Act in 1832 broadened the spectrum of voters to include the likes of landowners and shopkeepers as part of the property criteria. The constituency boundaries were rearranged to make representation less unfair and householders paying more than £10 in annual rent were also given the vote