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Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6, 1965. It enforced the voting rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and is regarded as one of the most effective civil rights laws ever enacted.

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What the Law Did

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed the discriminatory practices that had disenfranchised Black Americans, especially in the South:
  • Banned literacy tests and similar devices used to block voters.
  • Federal oversight (Section 5). Jurisdictions with a history of discrimination had to obtain federal “preclearance” before changing voting laws.
  • Federal examiners could register voters where local officials refused.

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Background

The law followed the violent suppression of peaceful marchers in Selma, Alabama, on “Bloody Sunday,” March 7, 1965. Public outrage helped propel the bill through Congress.

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Impact and Later History

Black voter registration rose dramatically in the years after passage. In Shelby County v. Holder (2013), the Supreme Court struck down the coverage formula that determined which jurisdictions were subject to preclearance, significantly weakening Section 5 enforcement while leaving the rest of the Act intact.

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Source

See the full text and history at the U.S. National Archives.