This is Part 2 of our 1960s Voter Eligibility Literacy quiz. Every question you’ll face here is pulled directly from the historic events surrounding the 1960s Louisiana Literacy Test. This trial was known as a “voter qualification” exam – used during the Jim Crow era to suppress the voting rights of African Americans.
The tests themselves were nearly impossible to pass. Not because people couldn’t read, but because the instructions were deliberately vague, misleading, and contradictory. During that era, Louisiana wasn’t the only one subjected to such tests.
States like Alabama and Mississippi used similar literacy examinations as part of a broader system of racial disenfranchisement. This system included poll taxes, intimidation, and “grandfather clauses,” which were used to block as many Black citizens from voting as possible. This was done in a way that wouldn’t openly violate the Constitution.
The rules were brutal and simple: answer all 30 questions in 10 minutes. One mistake meant automatic failure. On paper, the test looked like it was analyzing reading skills. In reality, it was full of vague instructions, logic traps, and subjective grading. All of which was designed to make people fail.
So, how would you have fared under this system? Take this quiz to find out.
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