President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Did he sign this because he genuinely thought it was the right thing to do? Or did he sign it to better his chances of being re-elected for president? Judging by the presented documents, the evidence leans towards a mixture of both. He had experience with being around people that felt the pain of discrimination. But, he also wanted to remain in office as president. In Document A, it tells of his time teaching at a Mexican-American school in Cotulla, Texas. Johnson recalled, “Few of them could speak English, and I couldn’t speak much Spanish. My students were poor and they often came to class without breakfast, hungry. They knew even in their youth the pain of prejudice. They never seemed to know why people disliked them. But they knew it was so, because I saw it in their eyes.” This shows that he knew how prejudice affected those people. This shows that he may have really been in genuine support of the signing of the Civil Right Act of 1964. …show more content…
In the conversation, Johnson says to the senator, “Dick, you’ve got to get out of my way, I’m going to run you over.” The senator then replied, “You may do that, but, by God, it’s going to cost you the South and cost you the election.” Johnson replied, “If that’s the price I’ve got to pay, I’ll pay it gladly.” This shows that Johnson was behind his plans and wished for them to be instated under genuine backing of the Civil Rights Act of
They never seemed to know why people disliked them. But they knew it was so, because I saw it in their eyes.” (Document A) He describes prejudice as pain. This experience helped lay the ground work for his Civil Rights support even before his political career started.
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.
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?
There is even more evidence to be shown! Lastly, Doc E is an example of why Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In this document it shows a question that Roy Wilkins and many others had for him. “If you had felt this strongly about the issue, why had it taken you so long to act on it?”
When he was in the senate years Johnson like most Southerners did note support
He went on to take two six-year terms as a Texas senator, and his hard work made him a majority leader. As a senator, he voted against many civil right laws that were proposed. But, when he later became President, he was the one that passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 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 aided him in reinforcing just how important this topic was to him and should be to everyone watching. He used the discomfort and tense pressure that had been building up to his advantage as he shamed all of those who denied voting rights many times throughout the speech. There are many moments throughout the speech where he seems to be targeting specific Congress members with his intimidating stare. In fact, after he said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s famous words he stared at Senator Dirksen who was one of the few who did not stand and applaud. His deliberate focus caused the cameras to turn to the senator, forcing him to stand and join the audience.
President Johnson furthered his work after Kennedy’s assassination. The March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream…” speech all showed the power of unity, and a glimpse of what the world couple be post passing of the act. After going through Congress the bill was signed and then began the undoing of the years of prejudice, and the building of the years of equality to come. The Civil Rights Act did not just set basic civil rights, but put in motion new legislation in the years to come in favor of equality. It’s one of the defining moments of the Civil Rights Movement, and the turning point in the fight for civil
They longed for equality, for this war to come to an end. However, his parents were not like that, they didn’t like not one person of color, no matter how respectful that person may be. All to say, discrimination has no age; it is timeless. They failed to realize that no matter what they may see, black skin, squinty eyes or even white skin, all humans are equal. Yet because of my skin color, I am not.
He never really put much thought into his decisions except for the fact of was he going to be liked. This is the third and final most important reason on why he signing of the Civil Rights Act was based purely on politics. In conclusion, The Civil Rights Act was signed through politics and he did win the election of 1964. America did benefit greatly from the new laws creating equal opportunity for all who lived there. In his new term, Johnson created the Great Society which allowed many unprivileged children have equal footing for school.
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.
Johnson participates in a joint-session with Congress advocating strongly for the Civil Rights legislation, mentioning the eulogy of J.F.K.’s presidency. Johnson’s aggressiveness with mentioning Kennedy’s power when he was president helped to push the legislation but there was still a lot of work to do. The House of Representatives wrote a “petition of discharge” trying to skip over the rules committee and what they had on their agenda. The rules committee which was headed by Howard W. Smith, was publicly supported. To avoid public embarrassment, Smith pushed the legislation through the rules committee himself.
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.