President Johnson signs Civil Rights Act

Historical Context Note

Lucas Paul Richert (University of Saskatchewan)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.4: American (US) Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary, 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Sofia Ahlberg (Uppsala University), Patrick Chura (University of Akron), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Dale Enggass (University of Utah), Christopher Hugh Gair (University of Glasgow), Matthew Hofer (University of New Mexico), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Justin Parks (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway), Nick Selby (University of East Anglia)

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Legislation (Bills, Acts, Laws ...)

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Date of occurrence 1964-07-02

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United States (Location)

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The Civil Rights Act was proposed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963. However, it was Kennedy's successor, President Johnson who oversaw the passage of a stronger bill. Johnson signed the Act on 2 July 1964. The Act was designed to end (or deter) discrimination based on colour, religion, or national origin. It also gave federal law enforcement agencies the authority to prevent discrimination in employment, voting, and in the use of public facilities. Not surprisingly, the Civil Rights Act was a highly divisive piece of legislation, and it provoked long-lasting and acrimonious debate amongst members of the U.S. Senate. White southerners were vehemently opposed to integration with blacks. Such opponents helped provoke a nasty backlash which included race riots in southern cities and…

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227 words

Citation: Richert, Lucas Paul. "President Johnson signs Civil Rights Act". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 October 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=3424, accessed 26 November 2024.]

President Johnson signs Civil Rights Act

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