President Calvin Coolidge Posing with American Indians at White House, February 18, 1925

    President Calvin Coolidge is seen in the center of a group of five Native American men on the south lawn of the White House.
    Courtesy of Library of Congress, "[President Calvin Coolidge posed with Natives, possibly from the Plateau area in the Northwestern United States, near the south lawn of the White House]," February 18, 1925

    Description

    President Calvin Coolidge posed with American Indians, possibly from the plateau area in the northwestern United States, near the south lawn of the White House on February 18, 1925. In June of 1924, Congress passed The Citizenship Act of 1924, granting citizenship to all American Indians born in the United States. However, this did not guarantee all American Indians the right to vote, because voting was governed by state law at that time. Many American Indians did not get the right to vote until the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

    Source-Dependent Questions

    • The Citizenship Act of 1924 granted citizenship to all American Indians born in the United States. How does the Citizenship Act of 1924 support or differ from the 15th  Amendment passed in 1870? As a reminder, the 15th Amendment states that "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
    • Using clues from the clothing of the men in the photograph, what are possible inferences about the varied values of American Indians?

    Citation Information 

    "[President Calvin Coolidge posed with Natives, possibly from the Plateau area in the Northwestern United States, near the south lawn of the White House]," February 18, 1925. Courtesy of Library of Congress

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