Voting Rights Dbq

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The Voting Rights Act, signed into law on August 6, 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson, protects the freedoms given by the fifteenth amendment. While the fifteenth amendment allowed all men of color to vote, some states, especially southern ones, loopholed that law. Many people of color were unfairly denied the right to vote through literacy tests and poll taxes. Almost 95 years after the amendment, many people were protesting because their freedoms still weren’t being recognized. A push for change was completely necessary, and while America may not be completely equal yet and the act not be being used to its full potential, the Voting Rights Act was a valuable contribution to equality that helped get this country where it is today. Many factors led to the signing of the Voting Rights Act. One of these was protests by the general population. A large group of people were frustrated by the fact that, despite the passing of the 15th amendment, equality hadn't been reached. Many states unfairly denied colored people the right to vote through technically legal means. This caused anger, and in 1964, many protests and demonstrations were held, often ending in violence. Eventually, this became too much and resulted in the creation of the Voting Rights Act. Said act outlawed literacy tests and …show more content…

America is a country built in freedom, but also on oppression, and the Voting Rights Act was one of the most significant changes in the voting area since directly after the Civil War, during the Reconstruction. Naturally, this change caused a lot of controversy, because many people, especially those in the south, had a way they were used to having things, and didn't want to hear that they were wrong. There were many court cases involving this, because many people challenged it. They never won, because they were wrong, the law was completely constitutional and morally

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