Major Civil Rights Measures, 1948-1965

  • Truman's Executive Orders, 1948

    Truman's Executive Orders, 1948
    The President's Committee on Civil Rights was established by U.S. President Harry Truman's Executive Order 9808 on December 5, 1946. The committee was instructed to investigate the status of civil rights in the United States and propose measures to strengthen and protect the civil rights of American citizens.
  • The Civil Rights Act of 1957

    The Civil Rights Act of 1957
    The goal of the 1957 Civil Rights Act was to ensure that all African Americans could exercise their right to vote. By 1957, only about 20% of African Americans had registered to vote.
  • Civil Rights Act of 1960

    Civil Rights Act of 1960
    The Civil Rights Act of 1960 was a United States federal law that established federal inspection of local voter registration polls and introduced penalties for anyone who obstructed someone's attempt to register to vote or actually vote.
  • Twenty-fourth Amendment 1964

    Twenty-fourth Amendment 1964
    The Twenty-fourth Amendment prohibits both Congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other types of tax. The amendment was proposed by Congress to the states on August 27, 1962, and was ratified by the states on January 23, 1964.
  • Civil Rights Act of 1964

    Civil Rights Act of 1964
    Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against blacks and women, including racial segregation. It ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace and by facilities that served the general public.
  • JFK's Executive Orders, 1964

    JFK's Executive Orders, 1964
    On November 20, 1962, Kennedy signed Executive Order 11063, prohibiting racial discrimination in federally supported housing or "related facilities".
  • Voting Rights Act of 1965

    Voting Rights Act of 1965
    Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of national legislation in the United States that outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans in the U.S.