the voting rights act of 1965 took place on august 6, 1965.
the voting rights act of 1965 took place on august 6, 1965.
when did the voting rights act of 1965 take place?
august 6 , 1965
the voting rights act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the united states that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. it was signed into law by president lyndon b. johnson during the height of the civil rights movement on august 6, 1965, and congress later amended the act five times to expand its protections. designed to enforce the voting rights guaranteed by the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the united states constitution, the act secured the right to vote for racial minorities throughout the country, especially in the south. according to the u.s. department of justice, the act is considered to be the most effective piece of federal civil rights legislation ever enacted in the country.
voting rights act of 1965
to defeat the voting rights act, mcculloch introduced an alternative bill, h.r. 7896. it would have allowed the attorney general to appoint federal registrars after receiving 25 serious complaints of discrimination against a jurisdiction, and it would have imposed a nationwide ban on literacy tests for persons who could prove they attained a sixth-grade education. mcculloch's bill was co-sponsored by house minority leader gerald ford (r-mi) and supported by southern democrats as an alternative to the voting rights act. the johnson administration viewed h.r. 7896 as a serious threat to passing the voting rights act. however, support for h.r. 7896 dissipated after william m. tuck (d-va) publicly said he preferred h.r. 7896 because the voting rights act would legitimately ensure that african americans could vote. his statement alienated most supporters of h.r. 7896, and the bill failed on the house floor by a 171-248 vote on july 9. later that night, the house passed the voting rights act by a 333-85 vote (democrats 221-61, republicans 112-24).
voting rights act of 1965