Why Did LBJ Sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964? In 1964 President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, but was he led by his determination to further his political standing or did he truly support the document? The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination in voting, education, employment, and other areas of American life. These are known as civil rights, rights that give equal opportunities and treatment to every American. A political decision would be calculated, thought-out, and sometimes in one’s self interest. However, a principled decision is based on strongly-held beliefs. Granted, President L.B.J. previously experienced a background with the discriminated youth, he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for his political …show more content…
President L.B.J. believed it was “the job of the states, not the federal government, to deal with those issues.” To clarify, President L.B.J. believed the states should decide what is “best” for their states, meaning a southern state could withstand discrimination against colored people. This would contradict his stance on the act as president before the presidential election. As a Senate Majority Leader, Johnson did not “directly oppose the civil right bill” however, he did help push through a provision stating that “anyone accused of violating the act would get a jury trial.”(Holland 1964). This provision made it likely that any defendant in the South would be “tried by an all white jury and acquitted.” This was represented in a drawing by cartoonist, Ed Holland, and published in the Chicago Tribute. To illustrate, the drawing displays President L.B.J. holding a sign that says “President Johnson’s parade lading for Civil Rights Bill” while tripping over a box that has “1957, Senator Johnson’s opposition to Civil Rights Bill” written on it. The cartoon was a playful inscription displaying how president L.B.J. had contradicted himself in order to further his political power in the …show more content…
had signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on his principles, he would have acted on the matter of subject sooner. To emphasize, if he supported the Civil Rights Bill he would have acted out sooner to have the bill pushed through earlier, but once the election began, he needed a way to gain more popularity. “Yet all Johnson’s rhetoric could not entirely disarm the suspicions of civil right advocates”(Dallek 1961-1973). To clarify, the suspicions about whether L.B.J. supported the bill or not could not be dissolved by the vague answers given by L.B.J. Additionally, Roy Wilkins, an important African-American civil-rights leader, asked if he had “felt so strongly about the issues, why had it taken him so long to act on it?” (Dallek 1961-1973). Ultimately, this displays that the public had concerns about L.B.J.’s principles and his
Johnson was loyal to the Union but did not agree completely with Lincoln’s view on the freedom of African Americans since he was from Tennessee. Andrew Johnson wanted to reconstruct the nation but did not think the freedom of African Americans had anything role in it. Johnson pardons confederate leaders and lets the southern states incorporate Black Codes into their state constitutions. Eric Foner explains that “what aroused the most opposition to Johnson’s Reconstruction policy were the Black Codes, laws passed by the new southern governments that attempted to regulate the lives of the former slaves”(565). The Black Codes kept African Americans freedom limited, which is not what the republicans wanted.
Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a civil-rights bill that prohibited discrimination in voting, education, employment, and other areas of American life. To understand why Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 one must understand his background. L.B.J. was born in Texas and his first career was a teacher. In 1937, Johnson won a Texas seat in the United States House of Representatives. In 1948, Johnson was elected to the Senate.
African Americans held rights, but those benefits did not involve a position in the administration. Johnson declared, “White men alone must manage the South.” Johnson forgave virtually everyone who appealed, and ere officers were returned to power. Congress declined to seat these past Confederates.
In 1963, the Kennedy Administration had twenty-seven percent about right public votes for pushing integration. In 1964, the Johnson Administration had thirty-nine percent about right public votes for pushing integration. Also, 57 percent of public opinion approved the way Johnson was handling the civil rights problem, which was more than half. These results would help Johnson in the presidential election. This is why I believe L.B.J signed the Civil Right Act of 1964 based on principle.
He tried to become President in 1960 but lost to John F. Kennedy. However, he became vice president for John F. Kennedy. After John F. Kennedy was killed, Lyndon B. Johnson took his place. With previous problems regarding Civil rights, people asked if President Lyndon B. Johnson pass the Civil Rights bill because he wanted the majority vote for the presidential election, or because it was morally right?
Wilkins asked. Why would Johnson wait so long before announcing his position on this very serious issue? It makes most sense that L.B.J. suddenly changed his mind, for political reasons. Lyndon B. Johnson definitely signed this act with political intentions. Lyndon B. Johnson signed the 1964 Civil Rights Act for political reasons like, gaining the approval of the public, showing people that he has changed, and to please the people of
President Johnson, armed with his speech, stood to persuade the congressmen to pass a bill that ensured equal voting rights for all. In a period when privileges were more inclined to the whites than to African Americans, voting rights applied selectively. At that time, it was needed that all be treated equally if America wanted to be proud of its supremacy above all other countries in the world. The president had to select his words wisely since the approval of congress was crucial to America’s future. Not only did the president have to work on the emotions of the attendants, but he also had to be logical in his claims, as well as build confidence regarding his appeal.
LBJ did it because everyone wanted him to. What is LBJ 's belifies that made him sign the civil rights act. To begin all the people of 1964 there wasn 't many people supporting the movement. There was so many deaths it was just madness to see the white people didn 't think it was right for the blacks to get
Lyndon B Johnson was the president who signed the civil rights act of 1964, a landmark piece of legaslature ensuring equal rights, yet some controversy remains about the reasons for why he signed it. LBJ was born in Stonewall Texas, August 27, 1908 and raised in a local political family. By the time he was an adult he was working as a teacher in a segregated school, teaching kids considered non-white, then as a senator, and finally LBJ became the 36th President of the United States of America. The question is, did Lyndon B. Johnson sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964 based on Principle, or Politics. Doing something for politics means to do it for personal benefit.
Why did L.B.J. sign the Civil Rights Act Of 1964? I believe he did for politics; If political decisions are calculated and in one’s own self-interest, then the Public Opinion Polls, the Sincerity Question, and the 1957
On July 02, 1964 , Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibited against people discriminating against another because of their skin color , so everybody was treated equally. L.B.J he became president after John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22nd, 1963 and L.B.J took office the next day. He finished what J.F.K wanted and signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Political means some did it for votes or for something and principle means the person did something because it was the right thing to do. Why did L.B.J sign it was, it a political decision or was it a principle decision?
Why Did L.B.J Sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964? One July 2, 1964, pens were used to change the lives of every American citizen. L.B.J was born on a farm near Stonewall in the Hill Country of Central Texas and was really smart and had tons of energy; He decided to become a teacher. Why did L.B.J sign the civil rights act of 1964? If principle decisions are based on strongly-held beliefs, then Cotulla Teaching, Ignoring Southern Reaction, and Change of Heart show that President Johnson was motivated to sign by his principles.
This act did not put an end to discrimination but opened doors to further progress. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was first proposed on June 11, 1963, by President John F. Kennedy and proceeded all the way to the rules committee. On November 22, 1963, Kennedy’s vision of the future and his hope to end African American segregation ended when was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Civil Rights were needed in the United States but most civil rights leaders were frightened that the death of Kennedy would put an end to the movement to equality. Following his death, his successor Lyndon B. Johnson had a choice to make, that choice was to make African Americans equal in their own states and push the bill through
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is hailed by many as one of the most important legislations in the American history. The act was passed into law 52 years ago under a lot of pressure and resistance from white senators and African American activists. The act, which was largely known as the “Bill of the century” was aimed at bringing equality for blacks and whites and end racial prejudice. The act was targeted to revolutionize America where blacks and whites would eat together in the same hotels and enjoy similar rights in public places without any discrimination.
Jeannette Shackelford Duane Watson Engl 1302 02Febuary 2015 Press Hard For the Power to Vote In the speech “We Shall Overcome”, the speech was written by Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, the speech was addressed to Congress on voting legislation and to the United States as a whole. The speech was given on March 15, 1965 in an era where there was much bigotry, racial violence against blacks. The speech was televised a week after the after math of the deadly violence that had erupted in Salem Alabama, which was supposed to be a peaceful protest, that was given by the Negros a protest for equal rights to vote, turned into a violent protest.