What did the Act of 1965 do?: A Summary of Landmark Legislation

In the mid-1960s, a quarter of a million new Black voters were registered by the end of 1965 alone, a direct result of one of the era's most significant federal statutes. To understand what did the Act of 1965 do, one must consider that several landmark acts were signed into law that year as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society program. The most significant acts addressed voting rights, immigration, and higher education, fundamentally reshaping American society and legal protections for decades.

Quick Summary

This article details the major acts passed in 1965, specifically the Voting Rights Act, the Immigration and Nationality Act (Hart-Celler Act), and the Higher Education Act, outlining their purposes and profound, lasting impacts on American society. It explores how these laws dismantled discriminatory practices, altered immigration demographics, and expanded educational access.

Key Points

• The Voting Rights Act Eliminated Disenfranchisement: It outlawed literacy tests and other discriminatory practices used to prevent minorities, particularly African Americans, from voting.

• Federal Oversight Ensured Voting Access: A key component, Section 5, required states with a history of discrimination to get federal 'preclearance' before changing voting laws, though this was later weakened by the Supreme Court.

• The Immigration Act Abolished National Quotas: The Hart-Celler Act repealed the national origins quota system that favored Western Europeans and had been in place since the 1920s.

• Immigration Policy Prioritized Family and Skills: The new system shifted towards prioritizing immigrants based on family ties and professional skills, leading to a major demographic shift in the U.S.

• The Higher Education Act Expanded Financial Aid: The HEA increased federal funding for colleges and created low-interest student loans, grants, and work-study programs to make college more accessible.

• 1965 Legislation Was Part of Johnson's Great Society: All three acts were foundational to President Lyndon B. Johnson's progressive agenda aimed at creating social and economic equality.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

The Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 was a crucial piece of civil rights legislation enacted following civil rights marches in Selma, Alabama.

Key provisions and their effects

The VRA banned discriminatory voting methods like literacy tests and poll taxes and required federal approval for voting law changes in some areas. This led to a significant increase in minority voting.

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965

Known as the Hart-Celler Act, this legislation ended the national origins quota system, prioritizing immigrants based on skills and family relationships with U.S. residents. This change significantly altered the demographics of immigration to the U.S.

Higher Education Act of 1965

Part of the Great Society, the Higher Education Act (HEA) aimed to broaden access to college education.

Core components of the HEA

The HEA provided federal funding and expanded financial aid programs, including student loans, grants, and work-study opportunities.

A comparison of major 1965 Acts

Feature	Voting Rights Act (VRA)	Immigration and Nationality Act (Hart-Celler)	Higher Education Act (HEA)
Purpose	To overcome legal barriers preventing African Americans and other minorities from voting.	To abolish discriminatory national origins quotas and establish a new preference system.	To strengthen educational resources and provide financial assistance to college students.
Focus of Reform	Outlawed specific discriminatory practices like literacy tests and established federal oversight.	Eliminated national-origin-based discrimination and prioritized family and skills.	Expanded federal grants, loans, and work-study programs to increase access to higher education.
Significance	Drastically increased African American voter registration and political participation.	Led to a dramatic shift in U.S. immigration patterns, increasing immigration from Latin America and Asia.	Significantly expanded access to post-secondary education for lower- and middle-income Americans.
Unintended Consequence	Its enforcement was weakened in the 21st century by Supreme Court decisions, notably Shelby County v. Holder (2013).	The emphasis on family reunification created "chain migration" that dramatically altered the country's demographic mix.	The expansion of student loans has contributed to a national student debt crisis.
Primary Goal	To secure the right to vote guaranteed by the 15th Amendment for all racial minorities.	To reform a discriminatory immigration system seen as inconsistent with American ideals.	To make college more accessible and affordable as a tool for social and economic equality.

The legacy and ongoing relevance of the 1965 Acts

Legislation passed in 1965, including the Voting Rights Act, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and the Higher Education Act, were part of President Johnson's Great Society initiatives. These acts addressed voting rights, immigration, and education, leading to profound and lasting impacts on American society and identity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary difference between the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 broadly outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in public accommodations and employment, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 specifically targeted legal and procedural barriers that prevented minorities from exercising their right to vote.

How did the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 change the demographics of the U.S.?

By abolishing the old national origins quota system, the act unintentionally led to a dramatic shift in immigration patterns. As immigration from Northern and Western Europe declined, flows from Latin America and Asia increased significantly, profoundly altering the country's ethnic makeup.

Did the Higher Education Act of 1965 create the Pell Grant?

The original Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 established grants for undergraduate students with exceptional financial need, but a later reauthorization in 1972 was what formally created the Pell Grant program.

What was the national origins quota system?

The national origins quota system was a U.S. immigration policy, established in the 1920s, that heavily favored immigrants from Northern and Western Europe while severely limiting immigration from other regions like Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa.

What happened to the preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act?

Section 5 of the VRA, which required federal approval for voting law changes in specific jurisdictions, was effectively eliminated by the Supreme Court in the 2013 case Shelby County v. Holder. This decision removed the requirement for these areas to seek federal oversight for new voting laws.

Did the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 impose any limits on immigration?

Yes, while it eliminated national quotas, the act set numerical limitations on immigration for the Eastern and, for the first time, the Western Hemisphere. It also created a preference system to determine how visas would be allocated.

Were there other significant Acts passed in 1965?

Yes, other notable acts included the creation of Medicare and Medicaid to provide health insurance for the elderly and low-income individuals, respectively. President Johnson's Great Society was a wide-ranging agenda of reform.