Legislation · 1965

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson months after state troopers attacked peaceful voting rights marchers at Selma, Alabama, the act enforced the Fifteenth Amendment by prohibiting voting practices that denied or abridged the right to vote on account of race or color. It suspended literacy tests in jurisdictions covered by its formula, authorized federal examiners to register voters there, and required those jurisdictions to obtain federal “preclearance” before changing voting rules.

“No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.”

August 6, 1965

Why it matters

Passed with large bipartisan majorities, it dramatically increased Black voter registration in the South. In Shelby County v. Holder (2013), the Supreme Court struck down the formula used to decide which jurisdictions needed preclearance.

Read the full text at archives.gov

Primary Source

The original record, reproduced or linked from the institution that holds it. Primary sources show what people said and did in their own words.

Subjects

voting rights civil rights elections fifteenth amendment

From the library

Related Documents

PM·DOC·1964·043Primary Source

Legislation · July 2, 1964

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the act outlawed segregation in public accommodations such as hotels, restaurants and theaters, prohibited employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin, and barred discrimination in federally funded programs. It also strengthened federal authority to enforce voting rights and school desegregation and created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Held by National ArchivesOpen archive

PM·DOC·1964·044Primary Source

Speech · July 16, 1964

Acceptance Speech at the 1964 Republican National Convention

Accepting the Republican presidential nomination at the Cow Palace near San Francisco, Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona called for a return to limited constitutional government, praised a federal system that reconciles diversity with unity, and urged a firm stand against communism abroad. His closing defense of extremism in the defense of liberty, and rejection of moderation in the pursuit of justice, thrilled his supporters and alarmed the party’s moderate wing.

Held by The American Presidency Project (UCSB)Open archive

PM·DOC·1964·045Primary Source

Speech · October 27, 1964

“A Time for Choosing”

In a nationally televised address on behalf of Barry Goldwater’s presidential campaign, actor and former General Electric spokesman Ronald Reagan argued that the growth of federal power and spending threatened individual freedom and Americans’ capacity for self-government. He framed the election as a choice between individual liberty under law and a drift toward totalitarian control, urged firmness against Soviet communism, and closed by telling Americans they had a “rendezvous with destiny.”

Held by Ronald Reagan Presidential LibraryOpen archive