What was the purpose of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
A.) to ban the poll tax
B.) to protect blacks registering to vote
C.) to give blacks the right to vote
D.) to ban literacy tests
B.) to protect blacks registering to vote
The purpose of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was to protect blacks registering to vote.
The purpose of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was to protect and enforce the voting rights of African Americans in the United States. The correct answer is not just one option but a combination of options B, C, and D.
To get the answer, you can start by doing some research on the historical context of voting rights in the United States, particularly for African Americans. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a landmark piece of legislation that aimed to eliminate racial discrimination in voting practices that were prevalent in many Southern states at the time.
Option B, "to protect blacks registering to vote," is part of the purpose of the act. African Americans faced numerous obstacles and discriminatory practices when trying to register to vote, such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and other discriminatory voter registration requirements. The Voting Rights Act sought to remove these barriers and protect the rights of African Americans to participate in the democratic process.
Option C, "to give blacks the right to vote," also aligns with the purpose of the act. While African Americans technically had the right to vote under the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, many states used various tactics and policies to infringe upon those rights. The Voting Rights Act aimed to ensure that African Americans could exercise their constitutional right to vote without facing discrimination or obstacles.
Lastly, option D, "to ban literacy tests," is another component of the Voting Rights Act. Literacy tests were one of the tactics used to prevent African Americans from registering to vote. These tests were often administered in a biased and discriminatory manner, and the act aimed to eliminate their use.
So, to summarize, the purpose of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was to protect African Americans' voting rights by addressing and dismantling discriminatory practices such as literacy tests, while also ensuring their right to register and vote without facing discrimination.