Civil Rights Act of 1957
E4669
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was the first major U.S. civil rights legislation since Reconstruction, aimed primarily at protecting African Americans’ voting rights and establishing a federal Civil Rights Division in the Justice Department.
Aliases (1)
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
United States federal statute
→
civil rights law → |
| addresses |
racial discrimination in voting
→
|
| appliesTo |
federal elections
→
|
| branchOfGovernment |
legislative branch of the United States
→
|
| codifiedIn |
Title 42 of the United States Code
→
|
| containsProvision |
authorization of federal injunctions against interference with voting
→
creation of a six-member bipartisan Civil Rights Commission → empowerment of the Attorney General to seek court orders protecting voting rights → |
| country |
United States
→
|
| createdBody |
Civil Rights Division (U.S. Department of Justice)
→
United States Commission on Civil Rights → |
| effectiveDate |
September 9, 1957
→
|
| enactedBy |
85th United States Congress
→
|
| established |
Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice
→
Commission on Civil Rights → |
| focusArea |
racial discrimination
→
voting rights → |
| followedBy |
Civil Rights Act of 1960
→
Civil Rights Act of 1964 → |
| fullTitle |
An Act to provide means of further securing and protecting the civil rights of persons within the jurisdiction of the United States
→
|
| historicalSignificance |
first major U.S. civil rights legislation since Reconstruction
→
|
| impact |
expanded federal role in protecting voting rights
→
laid groundwork for later civil rights legislation → |
| jurisdiction |
United States federal government
→
|
| legalArea |
United States constitutional law
→
voting rights law → |
| legislativeChamber |
United States House of Representatives
→
United States Senate → |
| opposedBy |
Southern Democrats
→
|
| politicalContext |
Cold War era domestic policy
→
|
| precededBy |
Reconstruction civil rights legislation
→
|
| primaryPurpose |
protect African Americans’ voting rights
→
strengthen federal enforcement of civil rights → |
| relatedTo |
Civil Rights Act of 1960
→
Civil Rights Act of 1964 → Voting Rights Act of 1965 → |
| shortcomings |
did not eliminate voter suppression in the South
→
limited enforcement mechanisms → |
| signedBy |
Dwight D. Eisenhower
→
|
| signingDate |
September 9, 1957
→
|
| sponsor |
Lyndon B. Johnson
→
|
| subjectMatter |
civil and political rights
→
racial equality in voting → |
| supportedBy |
Dwight D. Eisenhower administration
→
|
| targetGroup |
African American voters
→
|
| timePeriod |
Civil Rights Movement
→
|
| typeOfLegislation |
civil rights enforcement statute
→
|
Referenced by (16)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Civil Rights Act of 1960
→
Civil Rights Act of 1960 → Public Law 86-449 → |
amends |
|
Civil Rights Act of 1960
→
Civil Rights Act of 1964 → Public Law 86-449 → |
precededBy |
|
United States Commission on Civil Rights
→
Voting Section ("Civil Rights Act of 1957 voting provisions") → |
legalBasis |
|
Civil Rights Act of 1960
→
Public Law 86-449 → |
relatedTo |
|
Eisenhower administration
→
|
civilRightsPolicy |
|
American civil rights movement
→
|
influenced |
|
American South (mid-20th century civil rights era)
→
|
influencedLaw |
|
Southern Democrats
→
|
opposedPolicy |
|
85th United States Congress
→
|
passes |
|
Civil Rights Act of 1866
→
|
precedes |