How many Democrats voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1866?

Asked by: Prof. Aliza Smitham  |  Last update: February 4, 2026
Score: 4.5/5 (33 votes)

Zero Democrats voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1866 in the U.S. House of Representatives, with all 11 Democrats voting against it in the final overriding vote, while Republicans overwhelmingly passed it (32-4), along with Unconditional Unionists (12-0), to overcome President Johnson's veto and make it law.

Who voted the Civil Rights Act of 1866?

The Republican Party voted 32 in favor, 4 against. The Democratic Party voted 0 in favor, 11 against, and the Unconditional Unionists voted 12 in favor, 0 against. 1 member did not vote. It was brought to a floor vote in the US House of Representatives on April 9, 1866.

Who opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1866?

On this date, the House overrode President Andrew Johnson's veto of the Civil Rights Bill of 1866 with near unanimous Republican support, 122 to 41, marking the first time Congress legislated upon civil rights.

How many Democrats voted to give blacks the right to vote?

According to the Library of Congress, in the House of Representatives 144 Republicans voted to approve the 15th Amendment, with zero Democrats in favor, 39 no votes, and seven abstentions. In the Senate, 33 Republicans voted to approve, again with zero Democrats in favor.

Which group opposed the Civil Rights Act?

Since southern Democrats opposed the legislation, votes from a substantial number of senators in the Republican minority would be needed to end the filibuster. Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey, the Democratic whip who managed the bill on the Senate floor, enlisted the aid of Republican Minority Leader Everett M.

How many Democrats voted for the Civil Rights Act?

25 related questions found

Did southern Democrats oppose the Civil Rights Act?

Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These actions led to heavy opposition from Southern Democrats. 1964 Republican nominee Barry Goldwater voted against the Civil Rights Act, which caused Goldwater to sweep the Deep South even though he lost badly outside the South.

Was the Democratic Party against the civil rights movement?

Before the American Civil War, the party generally supported slavery or insisted it be left to the states. After the war until the 1940s, the party opposed civil rights reforms in order to retain the support of Southern white voters.

How many Republicans voted for the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

On May 26, the Senate passed the bill by a 77–19 vote (Democrats 47–16, Republicans 30–2); only senators representing Southern states voted against it.

Did any Democrats vote for the 14th Amendment?

Answer and Explanation: No Democrats in Congress voted for the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War, the Democrats were primarily the part of the Southern states and strictly opposed equal rights and guaranteed citizenship for the newly freed slaves.

Which U.S. president gave blacks the right to vote?

Instead, the House passed the stronger bill that had been reported from the House Judiciary Committee. A conference committee reconciled the House and Senate versions, which both bodies adopted. On August 6, 1965, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act in the President's Room just off the Senate Chamber.

What was the major failure of the Civil Rights Act of 1866?

- it didn't protect people's political rights like voting and holding public office or their social rights that would ensure equal access to public accommodations. In 1866, racist terrorist groups, , the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) were established and before long spread into pretty much every southern state.

Who vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866?

During Reconstruction, Congress passed several statutes aimed at protecting the rights of the formerly enslaved, many of them over the veto of President Andrew Johnson.

Who would be exempt under the Civil Rights Act of 1866?

And no one is exempt from the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which prohibits all racial discrimination in the sale or rental of property.

Why did President Johnson veto the Civil Rights Act?

Why did President Andrew Johnson veto the Freedman's bureau bill and the civil rights act? President Johnson vetoed these bills arguing that the federal government was overstepping its proper authority.

Which party opposed the Bill of rights?

The Federalists were known for their opposition to the inclusion of the Bill of Rights, as they argued that the Constitution applied only to the government and not states or people.

What political party opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 Quizlet?

More Democrats than Republicans opposed the bill. The majority of both parties voted in favor of the bill. All Senate Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Why did President Johnson oppose the 14th Amendment?

In the end, Johnson refused to sign the bill because he believed Congress had no right to guarantee citizenship within the states or to enforce legislation on the individual states.

Did Democrats vote against the 19th Amendment?

On June 4, 1919, it was brought before the Senate and, after Southern Democrats abandoned a filibuster, 36 Republican senators were joined by 20 Democrats to pass the amendment with 56 yeas, 25 nays, and 14 not voting. The final vote tally was: 20 Democrats Yea. 17 Democrats Nay.

Which party opposed the US Constitution?

The Federalists of this time were rivaled by the Anti-Federalists, who opposed the ratification of the Constitution and objected to creating a stronger central government. The critiques of the Constitution raised by the Anti-Federalists influenced the creation of the Bill of Rights.

What is the percentage of democratic voters?

The percentage of voters registered with the Democratic Party increased from 44.06% to 46.82%. The percentage of voters registered with the Republican Party increased from 23.58% to 23.90%. voters may be activated before their 18th birthday if they will be 18 in an upcoming election.

Which group benefited the most from the voting Act of 1965?

Safeguarding the rights of Black Americans and other minorities. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 remains one of the hardest-fought safeguards for Black Americans and other minority groups as it relates to voting. The power, agency, and access to vote is a civil right for all.

What political party opposed civil rights?

Democrats vehemently opposed each of those civil rights laws, and Democratic President Andrew Johnson even vetoed several of the bills, but Republicans had overridden each of his vetoes.

Who overturned the civil rights Act?

No one has fully repealed the Civil Rights Act of 1964; instead, President Donald Trump issued executive orders in early 2025 (like EO 14173) that aimed to dismantle enforcement mechanisms, particularly the "disparate impact" standard and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, to weaken its effectiveness by ending affirmative action for federal contractors (revoking EO 11246) and directing agencies to remove disparate impact rules, thus reducing protections in housing, jobs, and education.
 

Were confederates Democrats or Republicans?

Confederates weren't strictly Republicans or Democrats; the Confederacy suppressed political parties for unity, but its leaders, like President Jefferson Davis, were mostly pre-war Democrats (pro-slavery), while the secession movement was driven by Southern Democrats opposing the Republican-led Union, leading to the South becoming solidly Democratic after the war as a reaction against Reconstruction and Republican policies, a trend that reversed decades later.