The legal measure, enacted during the Eisenhower administration, primarily focused on voting rights. It authorized the Attorney General to seek federal court injunctions to prevent interference with the right to vote, and it established a Civil Rights Division within the Department of Justice. Furthermore, it created a Commission on Civil Rights, tasked with investigating allegations of voter discrimination.
Its significance resides in being the first major civil rights legislation passed by Congress since Reconstruction. While limited in its immediate impact, it represented a crucial symbolic victory and a foundation for subsequent, stronger civil rights laws. This act signaled a growing federal commitment to protecting African Americans’ constitutional rights and addressing racial injustice, particularly in the Southern states.
