Summery of Freedom Summer
Freedom Summer was a highly publicized campaign in the Deep South to register African Americans to vote during the summer of 1964. Although black men had the right to vote in 1870, they were sometimes unable to exercise that right because of poll taxes and literacy test. Organized by a coalition called the Mississippi Council of Federate Organization, the Freedom Summer added 80,000 Mississippians to their new party. The cause faced threats and harassment throughout the campaign, but after the brutal murder of three activists, brought national media attention to the subject. This led to the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and this outlawed the tactics Southern States used to prevent blacks from voting.