University of Delaware Library

Dublin Core

Title

University of Delaware Library

Description

The collecting policy of the Library is to document broadly the history of Delaware and Delawareans, including primary sources related to the history of politics and government. The Library collects papers of current and former members of Congress; Delaware individuals who represent leadership in diplomatic or political arenas, domestic or foreign, at the local, state, and national levels; and papers of institutions, organizations, or groups concerned with public policy or civic affairs.

Collection Items

Letter from constituent sent to Senator John J. Williams regarding the Voting Rights Act
Senator Williams was often quoted as saying that he believed in giving every citizen the right to vote regardless of race; however, he was against the federal government interfering with state and local elections.

Letter sent to Senator John J. Williams from the Grace Church Commission on Social Concerns regarding the Voting Rights Act
People all over the United States wrote to Senator Williams voicing their opinions on the pending Voting Rights legislation. Many, such as this group of concerned constituents from Grace Church in Wilmington, Delaware, urged the senator to vote for…

Letter from constituent sent to Senator John J. Williams asking him to vote for passage of the Voting Rights bill
As the events of the Selma to Montgomery marches were unfolding, concerned constituents wrote to Senator Williams urging him to vote for passage of the Voting Rights bill and to end the violent actions occurring in Alabama.

Letter from constituent sent to Senator John J. Williams regarding the attacks on civil rights marchers during the Selma to Montgomery march
The images of attacks on civil rights marchers in Selma, Alabama, roused the American public. Many constituents wrote to Senator Williams expressing their concerns over the attacks and urged him and other Members of Congress to stop the police…

'Are you a Shadow Voter' pamphlet
Senator Williams's "Clean Elections" amendment to the Voting Rights Act sought to criminalize fraudulent voting behavior such as vote buying and falsifying voter or registration information. In 1961, the Women's Division of the Republican National…

Letter from constituent sent to Senator John J. Williams regarding the Voting Rights Act
Although many constituents lauded Senator Williams for his work on the "Clean Elections" amendment to the Voting Rights Act, not everyone was in favor of passage of the bill as a whole and found it to be unconstitutional.

Statement from Senator John J. Williams introducing the Clean Elections amendment to the Voting Rights Act
Following President Lyndon B. Johnson's announcement of the Voting Rights bill on March 15, 1965, Senator Williams introduced the "Clean Elections" amendment to the bill on March 18, 1965. Williams emphasized that although he supported the principle…

Letter from constituent sent to Senator Williams on the Voting Rights bill (S. 1564)
Many constituents wrote to Senator Williams expressing their concerns with the Voting Rights bill. While many were for the passage of the bill to ensure equal voting rights to all American citizens and end discriminatory election practices, others…

Clipping from Wilmington Morning News Journal on Senator Williams and the Voting Rights legislation
Following the attacks on the Selma to Montgomery civil rights marchers, Senator Williams met with a group comprised of church representatives and civil rights workers from Delaware to discuss the Voting Rights bill. Senator Williams stated that he…

Statement from Senator Williams on his stance against the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Senator John J. Williams believed that public education should be funded and directed by state and local communities and not the federal government. He stated that the bill contained "within it the seeds of the first Federal education system," which…
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