What did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 achieve?

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a landmark piece of federal legislation aimed specifically at ensuring that all American citizens, particularly African Americans in the South, had the ability to vote without facing discrimination. This act was driven by a profound recognition of the systematic barriers that prevented African Americans from exercising their voting rights, which included literacy tests, poll taxes, and other discriminatory practices.

The legislation provided for federal oversight and monitoring of voter registration and elections in areas where discrimination was most prevalent. This was a crucial step toward dismantling the legal and institutional barriers that had long suppressed the voting rights of minority populations. By prohibiting racial discrimination in voting, the Voting Rights Act played a crucial role in increasing voter registration and participation among African Americans and other minorities, ultimately transforming the political landscape of the United States.

The other options address separate issues; integration of public schools was achieved through different legislation and court decisions, universal healthcare was not a goal of this act, and while ending segregation in public places was a priority of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is distinct from the specific focus on voting rights addressed in the 1965 Act. Thus, option B is the accurate representation of the Voting Rights Act's primary achievement.