President Johnson signs Civil Rights Act

Historical Context Note

Lucas Paul Richert (University of Saskatchewan)
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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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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 19 March 2024.]

3424 President Johnson signs Civil Rights Act 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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