The Voting Rights Act

by Valelly, Richard M.

• ISBN13: 9781568029894
• ISBN10: 1568029896
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-12-20
• Publisher: Cq Pr

Summary

''''When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law in 1965, he explained that '[t]his act flows from a clear and simple wrong...Millions of Americans are denied the vote because of their color. This law will ensure them the right to vote. The wrong is one which no American, in his heart, can justify.' ''''Now, in the fortieth anniversary year of its passage, readers can learn about the history, impact, and significance of this landmark event through the dynamic pairing of essays and primary source documents that define CQ Press's Landmark Events in U.S. History Series. The fifth volume in this award-winning collection, The Voting Rights Act, explores the origin, development, and consequences of this landmark legislation, and shows how its legacy continues to shape many aspects of U.S. government and politics.''Eminent scholars who have particular expertise in the subjects addressed write the insightful essays contained in this volume. Following these essays are related primary sources from the late nineteenth century to the present that add a dynamic 'you are there' immediacy to the coverage. Readers will find excerpts from relevant Supreme Court cases, key civil rights speeches and legal documents, and excerpts from speeches, hearings, and other documents related to the Voting Rights Act. Each document includes helpful head notes that give valuable context.''''As with all volumes in the Landmark Events in U.S. History Series, The Voting Rights Act presents a thorough and balanced treatment of a major historical event. The uniquely engaging approach will bring to life the history and significance of the Voting Rights Act for a wide range of library patrons, including high school and college-level students, as well as general readers and researchers looking for coverage of major U.S. events that is as interesting as it is informative.''''

Table of Contents

List of Documents	vii
Preface	ix
Contributors	xvii
Building African American Voting Rights in the Nineteenth Century	1	(20)
Xi Wang
Disenfranchisement and Its Impact on the Political System	21	(16)
Robert C. Lieberman
The Supreme Court and Black Disenfranchisement	37	(20)
Michael J. Klarman
Rebuilding Black Voting Rights before the Voting Rights Act	57	(20)
Paula D. McClain
Michael C. Brady
Niambi M. Carter
Efren O. Perez
Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto
Making the Voting Rights Act	77	(18)
Stephen Tuck
Extensions of the Voting Rights Act	95	(18)
Colin D. Moore
Impact of the `Core' Voting Rights Act on Voting and Officeholding	113	(16)
David A. Bositis
The Voting Rights Act and Its Implications for Three Nonblack Minorities	129	(16)
Pei-te Lien
The Voting Rights Act and Its Discontents	145	(16)
Mark Rush
Federal Oversight of Elections and Partisan Realignment	161	(16)
Laughlin McDonald
Documents	177	(176)
Appendix: Reauthorization of the 1965 Voting Rights Act: What Expires and What Does Not	353	(4)
Index	357