Civil Rights Act of 1960, May 6, 1960

The Civil Rights Act of 1960 was intended to strengthen voting rights and expand the enforcement powers of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. It included provisions for federal inspection of local voter registration rolls and authorized court-appointed referees to help African Americans register and vote. It also provided criminal penalties for anyone attempting to prevent people from voting. Controversial at the time of passage, the act foreshadowed an increasing emphasis on enforcement of voting rights and paved the way for additional civil rights legislation in 1964 and 1965.

General Records of the U.S. Government, National Archives and Records Administration