Civil Rights Act | Summary, Facts, President, & History (2024)

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Civil Rights Act | Summary, Facts, President, & History? ›

This act, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964, prohibited discrimination in public places, provided for the integration of schools and other public facilities, and made employment discrimination illegal. It was the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.

Provisions of this civil rights act forbade discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as, race in hiring, promoting, and firing. The Act prohibited discrimination in public accommodations and federally funded programs. It also strengthened the enforcement of voting rights and the desegregation of schools.

On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the civil rights bill into law in a White House ceremony.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was intended to end discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in the United States. The act gave federal law enforcement agencies the power to prevent racial discrimination in employment, voting, and the use of public facilities.

This is the story of how Lyndon Johnson set the stage for this legislation years before and how he choreographed passage of this historic measure in 1964—a year when the civil rights movement was rapidly gaining strength and when racial unrest was playing a role in the presidential campaign.

Our country's Constitution and federal laws contain critical protections that form the foundation of our inclusive society – the right to be free from discrimination, the freedom to worship as we choose, the right to vote for our elected representatives, the protections of due process, the right to privacy.

The movement helped spawn a national crisis that forced intervention by the federal government to overturn segregation laws in southern states, restore voting rights for African-Americans, and end legal discrimination in housing, education and employment.

By contrast, Lyndon Johnson aggressively and effectively pursued a comprehensive civil rights bill, making it the cornerstone of his Great Society agenda. He used the grief of the country following Kennedy's assassination to propel legislation through a reluctant Congress.

Johnson pressed hard in the U.S. Congress, with support of the NAACP, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the U.S. Justice Department, and key members of Congress such as Hubert Humphrey (D-MN), Everett Dirksen (R-IL), Emanuel Celler (D-NY), and William McCulloch (R-OH), to secure the bill's passage.

Despite Kennedy's assassination in November of 1963, his proposal culminated in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. President Lyndon Johnson signed it into law just a few hours after it was passed by Congress on July 2, 1964. The act outlawed segregation in businesses such as theaters, restaurants, and hotels.

What are the 10 civil rights? ›

Civil rights generally include ensuring peoples' physical and mental integrity, life, and safety, protection from discrimination, the right to privacy, the freedom of thought, speech, religion, press, assembly, and movement.

With six wavering senators providing a four-vote margin of victory, the final tally stood at 71 to 29—27 Republicans and 44 Democrats joined forces to support cloture. They were opposed by nay votes from six Republicans and 21 Democrats. The Senate's civil rights proponents had achieved a remarkable victory.

In myriad ways, 1964 was the year when Americans faced choices: between the liberalism of Lyndon Johnson or Barry Goldwater's grassroots conservatism, between support or opposition to the civil rights movement, between an embrace of the emerging counterculture or a defense of traditional values.

On the night of July 2, 1964, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in a televised White House ceremony.

United States President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Among the guests behind him is Martin Luther King Jr. Johnson, who wanted the bill passed as soon as possible, ensured that it would be quickly considered by the Senate.

Interesting Facts about the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Southern democrats were staunchly against the bill and filibustered for 83 days. Most voting requirements beyond age and citizenship were eliminated by the Voting Rights Act. Martin Luther King, Jr. attended the official signing-in of the law by President Johnson.

15 Civil Rights Act of 1964 Facts - Have Fun ...

Have Fun With History

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By outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, the act sought to promote equality, justice, and the protection of civil ri...

The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for ...

Library of Congress (.gov)

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Library of Congress (.gov)

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The social, legal, and political forces that battled discrimination for decades won a major victory with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—the most si...

1964 Civil Rights Act Fast Facts - ABC17NEWS

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ABC17NEWS

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Considered the nation's most important civil rights legislation since Reconstruction (1865-1877), it prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, r...

The civil rights movement is a legacy of more than 400 years of American history in which slavery, racism, white supremacy, and discrimination were central to the social, economic, and political development of the United States.

This act, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964, prohibited discrimination in public places, provided for the integration of schools and other public facilities, and made employment discrimination illegal. It was the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.

There were many specific legal reforms that were consequences of the efforts of the Civil Rights Movement, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

What are 3 facts about the Bill of rights? ›

It spells out Americans' rights in relation to their government. It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual—like freedom of speech, press, and religion. It sets rules for due process of law and reserves all powers not delegated to the Federal Government to the people or the States.