What law passed in 1964 helped put an end to Jim Crow laws?
Asked by: Geraldine Franecki | Last update: February 9, 2026Score: 4.3/5 (31 votes)
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, was the landmark law that dismantled Jim Crow laws by outlawing segregation and discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in public places, education, and employment, effectively ending legalized segregation in America.
What ended the Jim Crow law?
Segregation of public schools was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States in Brown v. Board of Education, and the remaining Jim Crow laws were overruled by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
What did the Voting Rights Act of 1964 do?
Following Bloody Sunday, President Lyndon Johnson sent a voting rights bill to Congress. It provided for direct federal intervention to enable African Americans to register and vote and banned tactics long designed to keep them from the polls.
Who helped end the Jim Crow laws?
President Lyndon B. Johnson was the most effective in the fight to end Jim Crow. President Johnson had a long history of working towards civil rights for blacks, having also worked towards the passage of the less effective Civil Rights Act of 1957.
What law was finally passed in 1965 which abolished Jim Crow era voting laws?
Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark U.S. federal statute that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights movement on August 6, 1965.
When Did Jim Crow Laws End? - The Geography Atlas
What was passed in 1964 that made Jim Crow laws illegal?
Passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal for state and local governments to implement “Jim Crow” laws enforcing racial segregation.
Why were they called Jim Crow laws?
“Jim Crow,” a name taken from a fictional minstrel character, came to be the nickname for America's own system of racial apartheid. In Virginia, the South, and some northern states, Plessy v. Ferguson both confirmed the status quo and gave impetus to even more rigid segregation laws.
Who overturned the Jim Crow laws?
In Guinn v. United States , the U.S. Supreme Court finds unconstitutional Jim Crow laws, which helped enforce segregation in Southern states.
How did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 help?
Once codified, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned discrimination and segregation based on race, religion, national origin, and sex. The law applied to government agencies, public schools, employers, and private institutions that received federal funds.
Who signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
On July 2nd, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, marking a historic moment in American history.
What is the New Jim Crow?
"The New Jim Crow" examines how mass incarceration and the War on Drugs created a new racial caste system, effectively continuing racial discrimination despite formal colorblindness.
What is the bill for segregation?
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 still bars discrimination, and segregated facilities, in the United States.
What president abolished Jim Crow laws?
President Lyndon B. Johnson was the president who signed the landmark legislation, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, that effectively dismantled Jim Crow laws, making segregation and discrimination illegal and ensuring voting rights for African Americans. While President John F. Kennedy initiated civil rights efforts, Johnson used his political skill to push these crucial bills through Congress after Kennedy's assassination, solidifying the end of the Jim Crow era.
What's the difference between the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1965?
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned discrimination in public places, schools, and employment, while the Voting Rights Act of 1965 specifically targeted and outlawed discriminatory voting practices like literacy tests and poll taxes, providing federal oversight to ensure Black Americans could exercise their right to vote, which the 1964 Act did not sufficiently address. Essentially, 1964 tackled general segregation and discrimination, while 1965 focused intensely on securing voting rights, building on the 1964 law's limitations.
When did racism start to end in America?
The second wave of civil rights progress occurred during America's “Second Reconstruction,” when landmark Supreme Court decisions in the 1950s and legislation passed in the 1960s and 1970s eliminated the basis for legal segregation in the South, outlawed discrimination in the North, and sought to deracialize public ...
What were three key provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
This act, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964, prohibited discrimination in public places, provided for the integration of schools and other public facilities, and made employment discrimination illegal. It was the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.
Why did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 fail?
The biggest failure of the Civil Rights Movement was in the related areas of poverty and economic discrimination. Despite the laws we got passed, there is still widespread discrimination in employment and housing. Businesses owned by people of color are still denied equal access to markets, financing, and capital.
Why was passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 so important to President Johnson?
By signing the Civil Rights Act in 1964 in the East Room of the White House, President Johnson helped eliminate voting discrimination against African Americans. The act also abolished racial discrimination in public facilities and in public education. Martin Luther King Jr.
What amendment ended Jim Crow?
No single amendment abolished Jim Crow laws; they were overturned by a combination of landmark Supreme Court cases (like Brown v. Board of Education) and federal civil rights legislation (like the Civil Rights Act of 1964), which were rooted in the 14th Amendment's promise of "equal protection under the laws" and the 15th Amendment's voting rights, though these Reconstruction Amendments were largely ignored or circumvented for decades by discriminatory state laws.
What Court case strengthened the Jim Crow laws?
The Court's “separate but equal” decision in Plessy v. Ferguson on that date upheld state-imposed Jim Crow laws. It became the legal basis for racial segregation in the United States for the next fifty years.
Why did President Johnson veto the Civil Rights Act?
Representative Henry Raymond of New York noted that the legislation was “one of the most important bills ever presented to this House for its action.” President Johnson disagreed with the level of federal intervention implied by the legislation, calling it “another step, or rather a stride, toward centralization and ...
Who pushed for Jim Crow laws?
White Democrats had regained political power in every Southern state. These Southern, white, "Redeemer" governments legislated Jim Crow laws, officially segregating the country's population.
What movement ended the Jim Crow laws?
This end was prompted by the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or natural origin, such as discrimination in employment, in public accommodations, and voter registration.
What are 5 examples of Jim Crow laws?
Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation and discrimination, mandating separate facilities and treatment for Black and white Americans, with examples including segregated schools, transportation (buses, trains with "colored" sections/cars), public spaces (waiting rooms, restrooms, water fountains), bans on interracial marriage (miscegenation), and discriminatory voting practices (literacy tests, poll taxes), all under the guise of "separate but equal" facilities that were almost always inferior for Black citizens.