Facts on the Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Civil Rights Act of 1965 was passed in response to the disenfranchisement, or denial of voting rights, of African-Americans in the southern United States. It included provisions for federal oversight in areas of severe discrimination and cleared the way for many more citizens to exercise their right to vote.
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Events Leading to the Act's Passage
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The lack of voting rights of African-Americans in the southern United States was brought to national attention by the Civil Rights Movement. Events such as the murders of civil rights activists in the Mississippi city of Philadelphia, and the attacks on non-violent marchers by state troopers in Selma, Alabama, in particular received heightened media coverage that prompted the federal government to take action.
Facts
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The Voting Rights Act was signed into law on August 6, 1965, by President Lyndon Johnson. The act emphasized the 15th Amendment's guarantee of voting for all citizens. It did away with literacy requirements and provided examiners appointed by the federal government in areas with particular discrimination to ensure equal voting rights.
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Effects
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Southern African-American voter registration increased sharply after the Civil Rights Act of 1965 was passed. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Act's role in fulfilling the 14th and 15th Amendment's guarantee of equal voting rights has led it be considered the single most important piece of civil rights legislation.
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