Voting Rights Act of 1965
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Throughout the course of America's existence, its people, culture, and institutions have been periodically challenged-and in many cases transformed-by profound historical events. Some of these momentous events invigorated the nation and strengthened American confidence and capabilities. Others have prompted troubled assessments and heated debates about the country's core beliefs and character. But all share the same basic attribute: they transformed the United States' political, cultural, and social landscape for future generations of Americans.Samantha Schmehl Hines - Library JournalWith these two volumes, the "Defining Moments" series continues to cover American history. Each volume in the series is arranged in three sections. First, a multichapter narrative overview provides a detailed account of the subject at hand in a historical context. This is followed by a collection of two- to five-page biographies of key players of the era or event and a list of sources for further information on each of the profiled individuals. In the last section, the authors present a collection of primary sources ranging from political addresses and first-person accounts to excerpts from novels and other popular works. The volumes then wrap up with a glossary, chronology, See reference notes, an annotated bibliography, and a subject index. The authors have contributed several previous entries in the series, as well as written other titles on American history, including Roe v. Wade and The Harlem Renaissance.
Preface viiHow to Use This Book xiNarrative OverviewPrologue 3Chapter 1 The Jim Crow South 7Chapter 2 Boycotts, Sit-ins, and Freedom Rides 21Chapter 3 The March on Washington 43Chapter 4 Freedom Summer 57Chapter 5 Showdown in Selma 75Chapter 6 The Voting Rights Act Becomes Law 93Chapter 7 Legacy of the Voting Rights Act 107BiographiesCivil Rights Activist and Co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Ella Baker (1903-1986) 127Director of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) during the Civil Rights Movement James Farmer (1920-1999) 132Civil Rights Activist and Leader of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977) 137President of the United States Who Signed the Voting Rights Act into Law Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973) 141Civil Rights Leader and President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Martin Luther King (1929-1968) 146Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and U.S. Congressman John Lewis (1940-) 151Governor of Alabama and Segregationist Leader George Wallace (1919-1998) 156Primary SourcesAlabama Literacy Test Samples 163Learning the Bitter Truth about Jim Crow 167White Support for the Montgomery Bus Boycott 172Ella Baker Describes the Founding of SNCC 174James Farmer Remembers the Freedom Rides 176Registering Voters during Freedom Summer 179Powerful Testimony from Fannie Lou Hamer 181Martin Luther King's Letter from a Selma, Alabama, Jail 184John Lewis Remembers "Bloody Sunday" 186Terror on the Edmund Pettus Bridge 194President Lyndon Johnson Delivers "The American Promise" 197Johnson Signsthe Voting Rights Act of 1965 207Senator Barack Obama Supports Renewal of the VRA 212Important People, Places, and Terms 217Chronology 223Sources for Further Study 229Bibliography 231Photo and Illustration Credits 235Index 237
