Voting Rights Speech before Congress - March 15, 1965 - Exam Questions

Oct 19, 2026

Uploaded by Mimi

Examining Primary Sources: Voting Rights Speech before Congress by Lyndon B. Johnson (March 15, 1965). The material centers on equal voting rights and the elimination of illegal barriers to voting, including context referencing Selma and the broader civil rights movement. It presents three analysis prompts asking why Johnson framed voting rights as an “American problem,” what he meant by the “legacy of bigotry and injustice,” and whether a listener would support the Voting Rights Act based on the historical events at the time.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Examining Primary Sources: Voting Rights Speech before Congress

Question 1: “American problem”

Question 2: Legacy of “bigotry and injustice”

Question 3: Support for Voting Rights Act

Name: Date: Class Period: Examining Primary Sources: Voting Rights Speech before Congress Lyndon B. Johnson March 15, 1965 …There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem. And we are methere tonight as Americans—not as Democrats or Republicans—we are met here as Americans to solve that problem Many of the issues of civil rights are very complex and most difficult. But about this there can and should be no argument. Every American citizen must have an equal right to vote. Yet the harsh fact is that in many places in this country men and women are kept from voting simply because they are Negroes…. Wednesday I will send to Congress a law designed to eliminate illegal barriers to the right to vote…. But even if we pass this bill, the battle will not be over. What happened in Selma is part of a far larger movement which reaches into every section and State of America. It is the effort of American Negroes to secure for themselves the full blessings of American life. Their cause must be our cause too. Because it isnot just Negroes, but really it is all of us, who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome 1. Why did Johnson describe voting rights as an overall “American problem”? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What do you think Johnson meant by “the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice”? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. The Voting Rights Act was passed into law. Listening to Johnson deliver this speech, would you have been persuaded to support this legislation? Why or why not? Reference the events which were occurring at this time. © Sttudenudent Handouts, Inc . www.studenthandouts.com ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________

FAQs

Why did Johnson describe voting rights as an “American problem”?

Because he argued there was no separate “Negro,” Southern, or Northern problem—only a single national issue requiring all Americans to act and solve it.

What did Johnson mean by the “crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice”?

He referred to the harmful, persistent effects of discriminatory attitudes and unfair treatment that prevent full participation in American life, especially through voting.

How should a student decide whether they would support the Voting Rights Act after listening to the speech?

Students should weigh Johnson’s claims about illegal barriers to voting and the urgency after events like Selma, then explain whether those circumstances would persuade support for the legislation.

Oct 19, 2026

Uploaded by Mimi