Historic dipping pen that was used by President Lyndon B. Johnson to sign and amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (S. 1564). The official 'bill signer' Esterbrook dipping pen measures 6.25″ long and features a black plastic grip with a Lucite handle imprinted with "The President—The White House." Includes its plain cardboard box and original typed caption affirming that the pen was “One of the pens used by the President, August 6, 1965, in signing S. 1564, An Act to enforce the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes.” In fine condition, with wear, and old tape, only to the original box.
Signed into law by President Johnson at the height of the Civil Rights Movement on August 6, 1965, the Voting Rights Act was designed to secure the right to vote for racial minorities throughout the country, especially in the South. It is considered to be the most effective piece of federal civil rights legislation ever enacted in the United States: by the end of 1965, a quarter of a million new Black voters had been registered. Readopted and strengthened over the course of several years, it is a piece of legislation that continues to be impactful in today's America.
