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Legislation

Seventeenth Amendment Ratified — Direct Election of U.S. Senators

On April 8, 1913 the requisite number of states ratified the Seventeenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for the direct election of U.S. senators by popular vote.

The amendment fundamentally changed Senate elections to expand democratic control over the federal legislature and aligned with the progressive-era reforms that shaped Wilson's presidency.

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