The History of the Voting Rights Act

Republicans are still trying to eradicate the rights of those who may not vote for THEM

Photo Credit: Yoichi Okamoto

Issue #275 American History March 7, 2023

Ever since the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified in 1870, southern state legislatures have tried to suppress or eradicate the ability of Black people to exercise their right to vote in elections.

The United States Justice Department was specifically established to arrest and prosecute Ku Klux Klan members who were terrorizing Black men (no women had voting rights until 1920) who tried to vote.

In response to the Ku Klux Klan’s acts of terror, Congress passed a series of Enforcement Acts in 1870 and 1871 to end such violence and empower the President to use whatever legal and military means necessary to protect African Americans. 

The modern civil rights movement, which began in the 1950s, was an attempt to secure the Constitutional rights of all Americans. But specifically, this was for Black Americans, who were constantly under attack, including being victims of beatings, bombings, and even murders throughout the South.

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