Voting Rights Act, 1965

What was the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was an important piece of federal legislation that made racial discrimination in voting illegal in the United States.

When was the Voting Rights Act passed?

The Voting Rights Act was passed on 6th August, 1965.

Who passed the Voting Rights Act?

The Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B Johnson.

Why was the Voting Rights Act of 1965 created?

There were 2 main reasons for the creation of the Voting Rights Act 1965:

• ❖ There were still major barriers to African Americans registering to vote as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was not enforced.
• ❖ The march from Selma to Montgomery in March 1965, and the televised violence of Bloody Sunday, put pressure on President Johnson to act.

What changes did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 introduce?

The Voting Rights Act brought in 3 main changes:

• ❖ Every state had to have the same voting registration requirements.
• ❖ The literacy tests were made illegal.
• ❖ Federal officials would supervise elections in states where voter registration was below 50%.

What consequences were there to the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

Ther Voting Rights Act of 1965 led to 4 main consequences:

• ❖ The March Against Fear was organised by James Meredith to encourage African Americans in Mississippi to register to vote. Meredith was shot during the march and Martin Luther King and Stokely Carmichael took his place.
• ❖ Almost 80,000 new voters were registered by December 1965, a number which continued to increase.
• ❖ Slowly, more African Americans were elected into public office as mayors, senators, and congressmen etc.
• ❖ There was frustration the government was not doing enough as the process was so slow.