The Civil Rights Act of 1957: Law Explained

Most would agree that civil rights legislation in the 1950s marked an important step in the ongoing fight for equality.

The Civil Rights Act of 1957, while limited in scope, laid the groundwork for more comprehensive reforms to come.

In this article, we will explore the background, key provisions, challenges, and legacy of this landmark civil rights law.

Introduction to the Civil Rights Act of 1957

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was the first civil rights legislation passed in the United States since Reconstruction following the Civil War. It aimed to protect voting rights and prohibit discrimination in voter registration.

The act was introduced following years of activism by civil rights leaders and a growing national movement to advance equal rights. Key figures behind the act included President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson, and civil rights activists.

While seen as largely symbolic at the time, the Civil Rights Act of 1957 helped set the precedent for more impactful civil rights laws in the coming years.

Understanding the Civil Rights Act of 1957

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 sought to protect the right to vote by establishing the Civil Rights Division within the Department of Justice and empowering federal prosecutors to obtain court injunctions against interference with the right to vote.

It also established the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to investigate voter discrimination and disenfranchisement.

While the act did not eliminate literacy tests, poll taxes and other barriers to voting, it signaled the federal government's commitment to protecting civil rights.

The 85th United States Congress and Civil Rights Legislation

The 85th United States Congress was responsible for introducing and passing the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

The act was introduced following pressure from civil rights leaders and a growing national movement. It represented a compromise between civil rights advocates and the Southern block who filibustered earlier, stronger legislation.

The final bill established new federal protections for voting rights while avoiding provisions that were seen as too provocative in the South.

Dwight D. Eisenhower's Influence

President Dwight D. Eisenhower supported the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and worked behind the scenes to ensure its passage.

While Eisenhower did not publicly advocate for civil rights early in his presidency, he helped broker compromises to break the deadlock in Congress and secure passage of the 1957 act.

Historians see Eisenhower's support as an important factor in the bill's success. He brought credibility and influenced members of Congress to pass the first civil rights legislation in over 80 years.

The Prelude to Greater Civil Rights Legislation

While modest in scope, the Civil Rights Act of 1957 was an important first step toward more sweeping civil rights laws.

The act set precedents in establishing federal protections for voting rights and empowering the federal government to combat discrimination.

It paved the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1960, which introduced more protections for voting rights. This was followed by the monumental Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibited discrimination in public accommodations, government services, and employment.

So while the 1957 act had limitations, it marked an important turning point that led to transformative civil rights laws in the 1960s.

What was the Civil Rights Act of 1957 simple terms?

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was the first civil rights legislation passed in the United States since Reconstruction after the Civil War. In simple terms, here is what the law did:

Established the Civil Rights Section of the Department of Justice to investigate violations of voting rights and work to enforce civil rights laws. This expanded the federal government's role in protecting civil rights.
Authorized federal prosecutors to seek court injunctions against interference with the right to vote. This gave the federal government power to stop discriminatory practices that prevented African Americans from voting.
Created the United States Commission on Civil Rights to investigate allegations of citizens being denied the right to vote based on color, race, religion, or national origin. The Commission was tasked with gathering facts and making recommendations to the President and Congress.
The main focus of the 1957 Civil Rights Act was on protecting voting rights and tackling racial discrimination at polling places, especially in Southern states. At the time, many states imposed literacy tests, poll taxes, and other unfair practices to stop African Americans from voting.

So in short, it was an important first step in empowering the federal government to protect civil rights after a long period of inaction. However, enforcement was initially weak and many discriminatory state voting laws remained in place, so the Act had limited immediate impact. But it laid the foundation for more robust civil rights laws in the 1960s.

What did the Civil Rights Act of 1957 fail to do?

The Civil Rights Act of 1957, while marking an important first step in the civil rights movement, failed to fully address key issues that were disenfranchising African Americans.

Specifically, the Act failed to:

Eliminate literacy tests and other voter prequalification requirements that states had implemented since the 15th Amendment. These tests were often used to prevent African Americans from voting.
Address school desegregation. There was no mention in the Act of working to desegregate schools, which would not occur until later civil rights legislation.
Give the federal government strong enforcement powers. The Act relied primarily on lawsuits brought by individuals against civil rights violations, rather than giving the federal government power to bring lawsuits. This made enforcement difficult.
Protect protestors and civil rights activists. The Act did not provide measures to protect people engaged in peaceful protests, sit-ins, Freedom Rides, etc. Activists still faced violence and retaliation for their work.

So while the Civil Rights Act of 1957 took the first step by establishing the Civil Rights Commission and Justice Department Division, it failed to eliminate key barriers to equality like literacy tests and segregated schooling. Stronger legislation would be needed to fully protect civil rights. The Act's shortcomings paved the way for more comprehensive laws in the 1960s.

What was the Civil Rights Act of 1957 intended to do quizlet?

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was the first major civil rights legislation passed by Congress since Reconstruction. Its main intentions were to:

Protect voting rights by establishing the Civil Rights Division within the Department of Justice to investigate discriminatory voter registration practices
Authorize the Attorney General to seek court injunctions against public officials denying anyone the right to vote on account of race
Establish the bipartisan Civil Rights Commission to investigate civil rights issues and report its findings to the President and Congress

The Act represented a modest first step toward protecting civil rights after decades of inaction. However, it failed to eliminate barriers to voter registration and voting for African Americans, especially in the South. Literacy tests, poll taxes, and intimidation tactics continued to be used to deny voting rights.

Additional civil rights legislation in the 1960s, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965, would be necessary to enforce the 15th amendment and eliminate discriminatory voting barriers. But the 1957 Act signified the federal government's intention to uphold civil rights, paving the way for more impactful laws.

In summary, the Civil Rights Act of 1957 intended to protect voting rights and establish investigative bodies, but had limited practical effects. Stronger laws were needed to fulfill its ideals of equal access to voting.

What is the Civil Rights Act of 1959?

The Civil Rights Act of 1959 was a federal law aimed at protecting and strengthening African Americans' right to vote. It was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 9, 1959.

Some key things to know about the Civil Rights Act of 1959:

It authorized the federal government to take legal action against state and local officials who denied African Americans the right to vote. This included seeking court injunctions and filing civil contempt charges.
It established the Civil Rights Division within the Department of Justice to enforce civil rights laws, including voting rights. This expanded the federal government's ability to protect voting rights.
It also established the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights as a permanent, independent bipartisan agency to investigate allegations of discrimination and make recommendations to the President and Congress.
While seen as somewhat weak legislation, it represented the first civil rights legislation passed by Congress since 1875. It paved the way for more impactful laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965.

So in summary, the Civil Rights Act of 1959 took modest but symbolically important steps to defend and expand voting rights and anti-discrimination legal protections for African Americans through new federal agencies and legal powers. It laid important groundwork for more sweeping civil rights laws in the 1960s.

Key Provisions and Mechanisms of the Act

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 sought to protect voting rights and prohibit discrimination in voter registration. The Act established new mechanisms for enforcing civil rights, even though it lacked strong enforcement provisions.

Establishment of the United States Commission on Civil Rights

The Act established the bipartisan United States Commission on Civil Rights to investigate allegations of discrimination and voting rights violations. The Commission conducted investigations and published findings in reports to the President and Congress. However, it lacked enforcement powers.

Formation of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division

The Act also led to the creation of the Civil Rights Division within the Department of Justice. The Division was authorized to file civil suits to address discrimination in voting. However, the scope of the Division was limited.

Voter Registration and Anti-Discrimination Measures

The Act created the federal Civil Rights Section of the Justice Department to file civil suits to address discrimination in voter registration. It authorized federal judges to address discrimination in voter registration in their judicial districts. However, the Act did not eliminate literacy tests or poll taxes used to disenfranchise voters.

Legal Tools for Enforcement

Federal judges were authorized to issue injunctions and find state officials in contempt of court for failing to comply with court orders related to ending discrimination in voter registration. However, judges faced opposition in the South. Overall the Act lacked strong enforcement mechanisms.

In summary, while the Civil Rights Act of 1957 established new federal bodies and legal tools, it failed to eliminate discriminatory state voting policies and lacked robust enforcement mechanisms. Subsequent civil rights legislation in the 1960s sought to address these shortcomings.

Challenges and Failures of the 1957 Act

The Civil Rights Act of 1957, while marking an important milestone in the civil rights movement, faced significant limitations and obstacles that hindered its effectiveness. Several key factors contributed to the Act's failures to fully achieve its intended goals of protecting voting rights and facilitating school desegregation.

Why Did the Civil Rights Act of 1957 Fail

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 failed to adequately protect civil rights and facilitate desegregation for several reasons:

It lacked strong enforcement provisions to compel compliance, especially in the defiant Southern states
States found loopholes to continue discriminatory practices like literacy tests and poll taxes that disenfranchised Black voters
Southern resistance and obstruction, especially Strom Thurmond's record-breaking filibuster, watered down the Act's provisions
The creation of the Civil Rights Division was helpful but still inadequate to fully enforce the Act at local and state levels

Overall, the 1957 Act marked progress but failed to effect substantial change due to political compromises and continued intransigence across the South.

The Southern States' Resistance

Many Southern states fiercely resisted the Civil Rights Act of 1957, determined to uphold Jim Crow laws and prevent Black voter registration. They used state laws, intimidation tactics, and violence to obstruct the Act, including:

Enacting new laws to undermine federal oversight, like substituting literacy tests with "understanding tests"
Using economic threats, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses to discourage Black voter registration
Forming White Citizens' Councils that used harassment, job blacklisting, and vigilante violence to intimidate integration advocates
Police brutality against peaceful protestors demanding their rights under the 1957 Act

Such defiance and obstruction prevented the Act from facilitating meaningful change in the South.

The Strom Thurmond Filibuster

South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond's one-man filibuster exemplified the Southern resistance against civil rights legislation. He spoke for over 24 hours criticizing and attacking every provision of the bill, setting a record for the longest Senate filibuster.

While Thurmond failed to block the Act's passage, his filibuster demonstrated the South's determination to oppose federal civil rights laws. It forced the bill's sponsors to accept weakened enforcement provisions to end the filibuster. This significantly undercut the Act's effectiveness in the South.

Inadequacies in Enforcement and Protection

The 1957 Act authorized federal injunctions and created the Civil Rights Division in the Justice Department to enforce its provisions. However, these mechanisms proved inadequate, as evidenced by the Southern states' continued obstruction of Black voter registration throughout the 1960s.

Key inadequacies and shortcomings included:

Federal judges in the South were reluctant to use injunctions to enforce desegregation
The Civil Rights Division lacked resources and personnel for robust nationwide enforcement
The Act failed to protect civil rights activists from retaliation, as seen in the Freedom Summer murders

Ultimately, without stronger federal intervention and protections, Southern Black citizens remained disenfranchised and segregation persisted. The 1957 Act lacked the teeth needed to effect real change on the ground.

The Broader Civil Rights Movement and Subsequent Legislation

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was an important milestone in the broader civil rights movement in the United States. Though limited in scope, it laid the groundwork for more comprehensive legislation in the 1960s.

From Brown v. Board of Education to the Voting Rights Act of 1965

The civil rights movement gained momentum in the 1950s after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954, which ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This paved the way for the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 and other nonviolent protests. Momentum continued to build over the next decade, with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. This was followed by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibited racial discrimination in voting.

The Significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1957

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was the first federal civil rights legislation passed since Reconstruction. It created the Civil Rights Division within the Department of Justice and the Civil Rights Commission to investigate violations. Though limited in scope, focusing narrowly on voting rights, it signaled a shift in federal policy. The Act's passage showed growing support for civil rights, laying the foundation for more comprehensive laws.

Was the Civil Rights Act of 1957 Successful

The 1957 Civil Rights Act had modest success. It increased black voter registration and paved the way for future civil rights laws, but its immediate impact was limited. Southern states found ways to continue denying voting rights to blacks through tactics like literacy tests. However, it brought civil rights onto the national agenda and showed the power of nonviolent protest in catalyzing legislative action, which helped drive momentum for major civil rights victories in the 1960s.

Civil Rights Act of 1968: Expanding on the Foundation

While the 1957 Civil Rights Act focused narrowly on voting rights, the Civil Rights Act of 1968 expanded protections against discrimination in housing and employment. It prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin or sex. This built upon the foundation laid by the 1957 Act. The 1968 Act also strengthened penalties for violating civil rights laws, signaling a continued federal commitment to equality and justice.

Conclusion: Reflecting on the Civil Rights Act of 1957

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 marked an important, albeit limited, step forward in the fight for equality and justice in America. Coming on the heels of the Supreme Court's landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling, the Act represented the first civil rights legislation passed by Congress since Reconstruction. However, it faced significant opposition from Southern segregationists and ultimately lacked strong enforcement provisions.

The Act established the Civil Rights Division within the Department of Justice and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights as federal bodies to investigate violations of voting rights. It also made attempts to obstruct voter registration a federal crime. However, literacy tests, poll taxes, and other discriminatory practices persisted due to loopholes in the law.

While falling short of more substantial reform, the Act's passage demonstrated growing momentum for civil rights. It paved the way for further legislation in the 1960s, including the monumental Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. Seen in this wider historical context, the 1957 Act marked an early milestone in what would become a decades-long movement toward securing equal rights and opportunities for all Americans.

Key Takeaways on the Civil Rights Act of 1957

Established federal Commission on Civil Rights and Civil Rights Division to investigate voter discrimination
Outlawed obstructing voter registration, but had weak enforcement mechanisms
Failed to eliminate literacy tests, poll taxes and other barriers to voting
Laid groundwork for more substantial civil rights laws in 1960s
Signaled growing momentum in movement toward equal rights

Assessing the Act's Historical Significance

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 represented a cautious first step toward dismantling decades of legalized discrimination against African Americans, particularly across the Southern United States. While the law itself brought about little substantive change, it demonstrated that civil rights had become a national issue that could spur Congressional action. This helped set the stage for bolder reform efforts in the decade to come.

Ultimately, the Act proved more symbolic than transformative. But as part of the early foundation for sweeping civil rights victories in the 1960s, it remains historically noteworthy. The Act's shortcomings also highlighted key areas for improvement, shaping more robust laws aimed squarely at eliminating barriers to voting and ending segregation. As such, it offered both inspiration and lessons that fueled the next phase of legislative activism in the long march toward equal rights.