Legislation1957
Civil Rights Act of 1957 Passed by Senate
The Senate passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 after Senator Strom Thurmond conducted the longest solo filibuster in Senate history, speaking for over 24 hours in opposition. The act was the first federal civil rights legislation since Reconstruction and created the Civil Rights Commission.
Why It Matters
Although weakened by compromise, the 1957 Civil Rights Act broke an 82-year legislative drought on civil rights and established the precedent for the stronger legislation that would follow in 1964 and 1965.