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Year 11
Edexcel

The Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965)

I can explain the importance of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, including the role of both Kennedy and Johnson.

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Year 11
Edexcel

The Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965)

I can explain the importance of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, including the role of both Kennedy and Johnson.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. President Kennedy was instrumental in the successes of the civil rights movement in the early 1960s.
  2. Johnson was able to pass the Civil Rights Act in 1964: considered one of the greatest successes of the movement.
  3. The march from Selma began in March 1965, protesting against continued voting restrictions for black Americans.
  4. The success of the march from Selma led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which directly addressed voting restrictions.

Keywords

  • Act - an act is a law passed by the government

  • Registration - registration is the act of signing up to do something - for example, voting

Common misconception

The passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 marked the end of the civil rights movement.

While the Civil Rights Act (1964) was a landmark moment, bringing significant change, it left much to campaign for - particularly issues of voter registration amongst black Americans.


To help you plan your year 11 history lesson on: The Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

When working through the changes introduced as a result of the acts, make sure to emphasise that changes in law do not always mean changes in people's everyday experiences - as they may already know from learning about previous Supreme Court rulings and Civil Rights Acts.
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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
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Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Temporary schools set up in Mississippi to help overcome the inequalities in schooling were known as .
Correct Answer: Freedom Schools, freedom schools
Q2.
Who ordered his officers to use dogs and powerful fire hoses on the protesters in the Birmingham campaign?
Orval Faubus
George Wallace
Ross Barnett
Correct answer: Bull Connor
Q3.
At which famous march did Martin Luther King give his 'I have a dream speech'?
Correct answer: March on Washington
March on Mississipi
March on Alabama
Q4.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into the order in which they happened. Use numbers to show the correct order.
1 - Freedom Rides
2 - Montgomery Bus Boycott
3 - Greensboro sit-ins
4 - Passing of the Civil Rights Act
Q5.
Which two of the following statements are correct?
In April 1963, CORE and ACMHR launched the Birmingham campaign.
Correct answer: The Birmingham campaign quickly gained a lot of support.
Correct answer: On 12th June, King was arrested and wrote the ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’.
King was released from jail after 8 days, despite not having Kennedy's support.
Q6.
Which of the following statements is the best definition of direct action?
Correct answer: use of demonstrations or protests to achieve a goal, rather than negotiation
negotiation to achieve a goal, rather than demonstrations or protests
the use of violence to achieve a goal

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
An is a law passed by the government.
Correct Answer: act, Act
Q2.
Why was Kennedy expected to address the issue of civil rights?
Correct answer: The support of black Americans helped him win the election.
He was a Republican who had promised his support to the movement.
He openly led the civil rights movement.
Q3.
Which president successfully passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964?
President Kennedy
President Eisenhower
Correct answer: Pesident Johnson
Q4.
Why did Southern opposition become less of an obstacle when Johnson attempted to pass the Civil Rights Act?
Few Southern politicians were opposed to the act by 1964.
Kennedy had eliminated most Southern opposition before his assassination.
Correct answer: Many people wanted to honour the work of Kennedy.
Q5.
Which issue did the march on Selma address?
education
transport
Correct answer: voting
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events relating to Selma into the order in which they happened. Use numbers to show the correct order.
1 - Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot and killed by a police officer.
2 - The first march was violently pushed back by police.
3 - James Reeb was murdered following a second attempt at the march.
4 - Johnson gave his support for a Voting Rights Act.

Additional material

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