July 2, 1964Primary sourceWell documented
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
On the timeline · around July 2, 1964 ·
What happened
Signed by President Johnson on July 2, 1964, the Civil Rights Act outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It ended segregation in public accommodations and banned employment discrimination — the most sweeping civil rights law since Reconstruction.
Why it matters
The Act dismantled the legal framework of Jim Crow and became the foundation of modern anti-discrimination law, transforming American public life.