27. Write right from the left to the right as you see it spelled here.
28. Divide a vertical line in two equal parts by bisecting it with a curved horizontal line that is straight at the point of bisection of the vertical.
29. Write every other word in the first line and print every third word in the same line, but capitalize the fifth word that you write.
30. Draw five circles that have one common interlocking part.
Those were the last four questions on the 1964 “literacy” test in Louisiana. (To see the complete test, click here.)
Anyone who couldn’t prove he/she had a 5th grade education needed to pass the test in order to vote. The instructions were
Do what you are told to do in each statement, nothing more, nothing less. Be careful as one wrong answer denotes failure of the test. You have 10 minutes to complete the test.
Needless to say, the test was excellent at keeping people from voting.
November 18, 2014
The oldest democracy in action!
Our country had problems from the start because of the slavery issue. We did encourage other countries to become democracies, though.
The Mexicans that swarm over to here can’t read English so they couldn’t do that test. You need to read English to be able to know who to vote for.
Illegal aliens can’t vote now, but there’s a law waiting to be passed 🙁 that says they can vote.
I doubt very much that a law like that would be passed.
Obama wants 5 million illegals to become citizens. They’d be voting.
BHB, even Harvard graduates cannot pass that kind of test that the politicos have evolved to keep undesirable voters out of the system. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2831095/Harvard-students-sit-1964-Louisiana-Literacy-Test-black-voters-pass-allowed-polls-single-person-FAILED.html
there is just something so sinister about that.
i know all the reasoning and logistics behind it.
but it still seems sinister to me.
our state now requires a picture identification to vote.
i wonder how long before there’s a test like the one above.
and yet… with all the LITERATE people voting…
the IDIOTS still rule. 😀
It was sinister. Several of the questions were ambiguous, and not everyone had to take it. It was designed to keep Negroes from voting, pure and simple. Apparently this Louisiana one was especially egregious.
Yes, we’re all a bunch of nuts, and the idiots will rule.
If you wanted to get ahead in China during some of the dynasties you had to proficient in writing out some important document completely right – one wrong move and you would need to come back next testing time – there were I think cramming schools for it all…
However, once you passed the test your life was so much better. I believe there was a time when maybe you had been back 20 odd times (don’t remember exact number) and you could pass. Although I believe by then you were probably ready for the scrapheap anyway!
That sounds fair. They needed people who were accurate, and they gave everyone a chance. That’s better than systems where the high-born are given the plush jobs even when they’re incompetent.