Louisiana v. United States (1965) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Louisiana v. United States (1965) |
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| Argued January 26, 1965 Decided March 8, 1965 |
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| Full case name | Louisiana et al. v. United States |
| Citations | 380 U.S. 145 (more)
85 S. Ct. 817; 13 L. Ed. 2d 709
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| Prior history | United States v. Louisiana, 225 F. Supp. 353 (E.D. La. 1963); probable jurisdiction noted, 377 U.S. 987 (1964). |
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| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Black, joined by Warren, Douglas, Clark, Brennan, Stewart, White, Goldberg |
| Concurrence | Harlan |
Louisiana v. United States was an important case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1965. This case looked at a special "interpretation test" used in Louisiana that made it hard for African Americans to register and vote. The U.S. government argued that this test went against the U.S. Constitution.
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. It makes final decisions on legal cases. This case was about making sure everyone had a fair chance to vote.
Voting Rights in Louisiana
In the 1960s, many states, especially in the South, had rules that made it difficult for African Americans to vote. Even though the Fifteenth Amendment said that voting rights could not be denied based on race, some states found other ways to stop people.
Louisiana was one of these states. It had a rule in its state constitution from 1921. This rule allowed for a special test that could prevent people from voting.
The "Interpretation Test"
The "interpretation test" was a big part of the problem. When someone wanted to register to vote in Louisiana, they had to take this test. A local official, called a registrar, would give the test.
The test asked the person to "give a reasonable interpretation" of any part of the Louisiana Constitution or the Constitution of the United States. The problem was that the registrar had complete power to decide if the interpretation was "reasonable."
This meant that registrars could easily say that an African American person's answer was not good enough, even if it was. This gave them a way to unfairly deny voting rights.
Why the Case Was Important
The United States government sued Louisiana because of this test. They argued that the test was unfair and went against federal law. They also said it violated the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.
The Fourteenth Amendment says that all citizens should have equal protection under the law. The Fifteenth Amendment specifically protects the right to vote for all races.
The Supreme Court decided that Louisiana's interpretation test was unconstitutional. They ruled that it was used to unfairly stop African Americans from voting. This decision helped protect voting rights for all citizens.
