The Conscience of Lyndon B. Johnson: The Passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Abstract

In this thesis I explored the mind and conscience of President Lyndon B. Johnson. To discover if the protests in Alabama, and especially the marches from Selma to Montgomery in March 1965, changed his stands on civil rights legislation, the chapters will uncover Johnson's previous stands on civil rights all the way through till the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Johnson was a pragmatic politician and he knew that support of his southern mentors and voters were essential for gaining power. Therefore his stands on civil rights differed throughout his political career, from a conservative opinion during his time as a Representative and Senator, to a liberal position as President. Power, public opinion and the protests changed his tactics and pressured him to make a change.