When did abolition of property qualifications for voting begin in the USA?

Question

I understand that voting qualifications in the USA are a state matter and this didn't all happen in one blow. But which states were the first and last to abolish property qualifications for voting? Was this a controversial step at the time? Was it something that divided along party lines?

Answer 1

You are correct in the fact that voting rights did not develop uniformly between the states. In 1792, Kentucky was the first state to abolish property qualifications required for white men to vote. North Carolina was the last state to abolish property qualifications for white men in 1856. At the time, it was very controversial. Those opposed to the abolition were frightened of losing the power they held over society. Many likened it to the suffrage of the white male (if there could ever be such a thing). However, just because property qualifications for voting were abolished in 1856, Jim Crow laws disenfranchised many black male citizens by making it near impossible to vote. Lastly, women would not be able to vote for another 70 years after the abolition of property qualifications. I hope this helps. The answer is not simple and straightforward but rather twisted and confusing. Think of the the development of voting rights as a spectrum rather than a singular event.