Voting Rights Act of 1965
Before the Voting Rights Act had been signed in 1965, African Americans were prevented from voting despite the fifteenth amendment stating that states could not prohibit male citizens of any race from voting. During the civil rights movement, many African American voting rights activists suffered blows from many white Americans who didn't want them to vote. Also, many black citizens were turned away from the polls due to white citizens giving them false information as well as some states giving them literacy tests when they knew that they would fail. These events forced President Johnson to call for a voting rights legislation. On May 26, 1965, the U.S. Senate passed the voting rights bill which was later passed by the House of Representatives on July 9, 1965. President Johnson then signed the bill on August 6, 1965, and the act banned the use of literacy tests at polls.
The significance of this event is that it helped male African Americans by allowing them to vote which was stated in the fifteenth amendment. Also, this event helped expand the rights of African Americans, giving them more of the same rights as White American citizens. It also helped signify that African Americans were beginning to gain more rights and not be suppressed in America.
The significance of this event is that it helped male African Americans by allowing them to vote which was stated in the fifteenth amendment. Also, this event helped expand the rights of African Americans, giving them more of the same rights as White American citizens. It also helped signify that African Americans were beginning to gain more rights and not be suppressed in America.
Work Cited
- http://therightsmovement.weebly.com/voting-rights-act-of-1965.html. Accessed November 13, 2016. "Voting Rights Act of 1965."
- http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/voting-rights-act. Acessed November 13, 2016. "Voting Rights Act." Author is History.com Staff. Published by A+E Networks. Published in 2009.