Civil Rights Act of 1964

Public Law 88–352, more commonly known as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, is widely regarded as the single most important civil rights law in the history of the United States. Its passage was a consequence of the civil rights movement and an alliance between northern Democrats and Republicans to thwart very strong opposition by southern Democrats. Some scholars have characterized this law as a significant effort to realize the promise of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments that had been ratified shortly after the Civil War. These amendments stated that former slaves should have the right to vote as well as be covered by the “equal protection of the laws.” However, after the Reconstruction period ended, the promises of these amendments to the U.S. Constitution ...