Join the Department of History and Jennifer Frost, Associate Professor History at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, for a talk on “Why Can Americans Vote at 18? The Movement Behind the 26th Amendment.”

Absent from popular memory and most scholarly histories is how and why the United States has a national voting age of 18. Over a thirty-year period starting during World War II, Americans, young and old, Democrat and Republican, in politics and culture, built a movement for youth voting rights. Oregon citizens played an important role in the youth franchise movement, which won the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1971. This historic achievement recognized 18, 19, and 20 year olds as full citizens, deserving of having their voices heard within the political system. It was also the last time that the United States significantly expanded voting rights.  

Jennifer Frost is Associate Professor of History at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and the author of "Let Us Vote!" Youth Voting Rights and the 26th Amendment (2021) and co-author of Achieving the 26th Amendment: A History with Primary Sources (2023). 

The Department of History Seminar Series runs throughout the academic year and features guest speakers from the top universities who share their perspectives on history. Visit history.uoregon.edu for more information about the seminar series. 

Free and open to the public.