The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 years of age. It became the law of the land on July 5, 1971. The movement to lower the voting age was deeply rooted in the political turmoil of the 1960s, the civil rights movement, and student activism.

This exhibition draws on the 26th Amendment Collection, part of the Modern Political Papers unit of the IU Libraries. The collection was donated by some of the leaders of the national youth groups that advocated for the 18-year-old vote. Through contemporary documents and retrospective oral history interviews, it shows how the youth of the nation advocated for and obtained this most basic of civil rights – the right to vote and to make their voices heard.

Read more on the development and inspiration for this exhibit.