Question

In America, western states had more economic equality relative to the original 13 colonies. According to Engerman and Sokoloff, how should you anticipate voting rights to differ between the two regions?

Answer 1

ANSWER-
Since most societies in the Americas were nominally democracies by the middle of the nineteenth century
Though it was common in all countries to reserve the right to vote to adult males until the twentieth century ,The United states and Canada were the clear leaders in doing away with restrictions based on wealth or literacy ,and in attaining secrecy in balloting
Voting in theUnited states was largely a priviledge reserved for white men with significant amounts of property, as it was elsewhere in the hmeisphere.
Only four states had adopted Universal white male suffrage before 1815 ,but after that year all entered the union
The rapid growth of the then western states , where labour was scarce and the wealth distribution relatively equal,as well as some lowering of requirements in those previosly settled.
The 13 states revised their laws to broaden the franchise generally after intense political struggles ( five still remained some sort of economic based qualification on the eve of the civil war).
A movements for the extension of the suffrage , with similar pattern across provinces ,followed with a lag of several decades in Canada , but meaningful extension of franchise occured much later in Latin America
A number of latin countries relaxed restrictions based on landholding or wealth during the 19th century ,they almost always choose to rely on a literacy qualification
In late 1900 none had a secret ballot and only Argentina was without a wealth or literacy requirement
In result the United States and Canada routinely had proportions voting that were 50 to 100 percent higher than most progressive neighbours to the south ( Argentina ,Uruguay , and Costa Rica - countries notable as well for their relative equality and small shares of the population that were not of Europian descent ) ,three times higher than in Mexico, and up to five to ten times higher than in countries such as Brazil ,Bolivia ,Equador and Chile.
The information on restriction refers to antional laws. The 1863 constitution
empowered provincial state governments to regulte electoral affairs. afterwards , elections became restricated.(in terms of the financal for adult males) and indirect in some states . It was not untill 1948 that a National law established Universal adult mail suffrage throughout the country.
Eighteen states , seven southern and 11 non southern introduced literacy requirements between 1890 and 1926 .These restrictions were directed primairly at blacks and immigrants.