The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a law that made it illegal to discriminate against people based on their race, color, religion, gender, or where they were born.
Despite the 13th Amendment in 1865 that made slavery illegal and the 15th and 19th Amendments that gave voting rights to Blacks and women, there were still many people being denied their basic civil rights. In some southern states, the Jim Crow laws made it legal to discriminate against people based on the color of their skin or their religion. Segregation in public places, restaurants, schools and workplaces was widespread.
People fought hard for civil rights. In the 1950s and 1960s, civil rights leaders organized protests, marches and boycotts. Events like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Birmingham Campaign forced American politicians to take notice and act.
In a speech in June 1963, President John F. Kennedy called for action. He proposed a Civil Rights Bill to guarantee equal treatment of every American regardless of race. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders knew that President Kennedy would have trouble getting Congress to pass the new Civil Rights Bill. They organized the March on Washington in August 1963 to gain support and apply pressure on the government.
After the assassination of President Kennedy in November 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson continued to push the Civil Rights Bill, even though there were many people against it. After a long delay getting the bill passed by the Senate, President Johnson signed the bill into law on July 2, 1964.
The Civil Rights Act was divided into 11 sections called Titles. Each Title addressed a specific civil rights topic. For example, Title 1 of the Act guaranteed equal voting rights by removing registration requirements and rules that discriminated against minorities.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was one of the most important achievements of the civil rights movement. The Act is often called one of the most important U.S. laws of the 20th century.
Source: worksheetsplus.com/BlackHistory/CivilRightsAct.html What Is the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
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