The Voting Rights Act(1965)
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a major law that protected the right of every American to vote. It was created because many people, especially Black Americans, were being blocked from voting in unfair ways. The law made sure that voting would be open, equal, and safe for everyone, no matter their background. Before 1965, many states used tricks to stop Black citizens from voting. These tricks included long tests, confusing questions, and rules that were designed to make people fail. Some families were told they had to pay money before voting, which many could not afford. These unfair barriers made it almost impossible for many people to take part in elections. By Rowland Scherman - U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=125800394 Regular people—teachers, parents, students, workers, and neighbors—spoke up because they wanted fairness. They believed that voting was a basic rig...