Historical Documents: Selma and the 1965 Voting Rights Act
H.Res. 562 Page 1
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On March 1, 2012, the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 562, which directed the Office of the Historian to compile oral histories from current and former Members and House staff involved in the civil rights movement, the Selma to Montgomery marches, and the annual congressional pilgrimages to Selma, Alabama.
Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Center for Legislative Archives, National Archives and Records Administration
H. Res. 562 Page 2
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On March 1, 2012, the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 562, which directed the Office of the Historian to compile oral histories from current and former Members and House staff involved in the civil rights movement, the Selma to Montgomery marches, and the annual congressional pilgrimages to Selma, Alabama.
Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Center for Legislative Archives, National Archives and Records Administration
Mrs. Bertram Jeffrey Letter to the House Judiciary Committee
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Many citizens called on Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in response to the violence that transpired in Alabama that winter. Mrs. Bertram Jeffrey wrote this letter on March 20, 1965, to House Judiciary Chairman Emanuel Celler of New York in support of the landmark legislation. She wrote, “Our Democratic heritage cannot advance until all have the right to vote and participate. I support your stand and urge your strong support of this bill.”
House Judiciary Committee Record, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Center for Legislative Archives, National Archives and Records Administration
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
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The Civil Rights Act of 1964 enforced the constitutional right of all citizens to vote, as conferred by the 15th Amendment to the Constitution. This first page of the public law amends the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960, restricting the use of literacy tests and other unfair voter qualifications.
House Judiciary Committee Record, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Center for Legislative Archives, National Archives and Records Administration
H.R. 6400
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The House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Emanuel Celler of New York, considered the Voting Rights Act in the spring of 1965. The Voting Rights Act, introduced by Celler in the House as H.R. 6400, stipulated that “No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.”
House Judiciary Committee Record, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Center for Legislative Archives, National Archives and Records Administration
Mrs. E. Jackson Letter to the House Judiciary Committee
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Mrs. E. Jackson wrote to the House Judiciary Committee on March 8, 1965, the day after Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. Reacting to scenes of police brutality that many Americans witnessed on television, Jackson wrote the following day to her U.S. Representative, House Judiciary Chairman Emanuel Celler of New York: “If your voice or vote can be of service now is the time to use it. We can’t sit by any longer and watch the shocking events in Ala.” The interlined handwriting in pencil is likely that of Celler.
House Judiciary Committee Record, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Center for Legislative Archives, National Archives and Records Administration
Mrs. E. Jackson Letter to the House Judiciary Committee Page 2
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Mrs. E. Jackson wrote to the House Judiciary Committee on March 8, 1965, the day after Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. Reacting to scenes of police brutality that many Americans witnessed on television, Jackson wrote the following day to her U.S. Representative, House Judiciary Chairman Emanuel Celler of New York: “If your voice or vote can be of service now is the time to use it. We can’t sit by any longer and watch the shocking events in Ala.” The interlined handwriting in pencil is likely that of Celler.
House Judiciary Committee Record, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Center for Legislative Archives, National Archives and Records Administration
House Judiciary Committee Telegram to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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The House Judiciary Committee sent this telegram to the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., on March 18, 1965, one day after the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was introduced in the U.S. Congress, requesting his testimony before the committee regarding the legislation. House Judiciary Chairman Emanuel Celler of New York was sympathetic to the cause of voting rights and introduced the legislation in the House.
House Judiciary Committee Record, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Center for Legislative Archives, National Archives and Records Administration
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