Advanced Placement US History (AP US History) Practice Exam 2026 - Free AP US History Practice Questions and Study Guide

The main focus of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was to end segregation and discrimination in various aspects of public life, including employment, education, and public accommodations. This landmark legislation aimed to eliminate barriers that had been put in place to deny equal rights to individuals based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. By prohibiting discrimination in these key areas, the Act sought to ensure that all individuals had access to the same opportunities and could participate fully in society without facing unjust discriminatory practices.

While voting rights for minorities, affirmative action, and workplace rights for women are significant issues that also relate to civil rights, they were not the central focus of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 itself. The voting rights movement gained prominent attention with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which specifically addressed voting access. Similarly, affirmative action became a distinct policy and legal issue in the years following the Civil Rights Act, and while the Act did have provisions that impacted women's rights, its primary aim was to dismantle the institutional systems of segregation and discrimination that were rampant at the time.