Final answer:
After the American Revolution, property ownership was the most widely discussed voting qualification, with variations across new state constitutions. Taxpayer suffrage and reduced property requirements became common, while some states like Vermont eliminated property qualifications. New Jersey briefly expanded suffrage to include single women.
Step-by-step explanation:
Voting Qualifications Post-Revolution:
Following the American Revolution, state constitutions underwent significant changes concerning voting rights. The most widely discussed qualification for voting was property ownership. The issue resulted in considerable variations across the new state constitutions. Initially, property qualifications were meant to keep democratic tendencies in check. Over time, states implemented variations to extend suffrage more broadly. Property qualifications shifted to taxpayer suffrage in several states, reflecting the 'no taxation without representation' principle. States like Vermont abolished property qualifications altogether, while others reduced them or allowed military service to qualify individuals for voting rights.
During this period of change, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts exemplified the struggle to balance interests between democrats who wanted broader inclusion and elitists who preferred more restrictions. However, over the decades, particularly post-1819, there was a significant movement toward universal white manhood suffrage. By 1830, this became prevalent in many states, although limitations existed based on race, gender, and other factors. Notably, New Jersey even allowed single women the right to vote for a brief period, a move unheard of in other states at the time.