What did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 achieve?

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a landmark piece of legislation that aimed to eliminate barriers to voting for African Americans and other minority groups in the United States. The primary achievement of this act was to prohibit racial discrimination in voting practices. This included outlawing literacy tests and other discriminatory practices that were used to disenfranchise voters based on their race. The act also provided for federal oversight and monitoring of voter registration and election processes in areas with a history of discriminatory practices, ensuring that all citizens could exercise their right to vote without facing racial barriers.

In contrast, establishing women's suffrage occurred much earlier with the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women the right to vote. The direct election of Senators was established by the 17th Amendment in 1913, allowing voters to elect Senators directly rather than having them appointed by state legislatures. As for financial assistance for political campaigns, while various laws and regulations have been enacted regarding campaign financing, providing financial assistance was not an objective of the Voting Rights Act. The focus of the act was squarely on safeguarding the voting rights of individuals, primarily addressing racial discrimination in the electoral process.