1965 Voting Rights Act Case Study

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The 1965 voting rights Act was passed by President Lyndon B. Johnson , it stated that people no longer had to complete literacy tests when voting. It also prohibited poll taxes as it was a way to keep those who could not afford them from voting, especially African-Americans. President Johnson wanted to eliminate all the barriers that kept African-Americans from voting. Within the next five years the number of black voters increased from 70% in 1964 to 67 % in 1969. By the year 1980 the amount of African-American voters surpassed the total amount of Caucasian voters. The Selma to Montgomery marches took place in Selma, Alabama in 1965. The marchers were a peaceful form of protest led by Martin King Jr. The purpose of the marches was to raise …show more content…

According to wordnik, preclearance referred to the, “Advance approval by federal court or the federal of justice for changes to boating regulations in certain states under the 1965 Voting Rights Act”.There were nine states that required pre-clearance some of them being Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. In 2013 the Shelby County v. Holder United States Supreme Court case was regarding the constitutionality of two provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, preclearance and the coverage formula which states if states are subject to preclearance. The United states supreme court declared the coverage formula unconstitutional because it was talking about data that was over 40 years old. By making the coverage formula unconstitutional states were also unable to get a pre-clearance. The voting rights act of 1965 applied to every single state but was more controversial in the south. The voting rights act is considered to be the most effective piece of federal civil rights legislation ever not been an art in the country because it provided a lot of change that has never been seen before our country. It was also very effective because it provided african-americans with rights they had never been given. Lastly, they were a way to truly make all men equal in the United States, regardless of skin …show more content…

This was a way for president Johnson to eliminate some of the difficulties African-Americans faced. The Selma March had a great impact of the passing of The Voting Rights Act because it brought attention to other parts of the country that weren 't aware of the subject. The Selma march was supposed to be a peaceful march but later turned violent by other mobs. Lastly, The Voting Rights Act brought a lot of equality to our country that had never been seen