User:Grtierney/sandbox

The filibuster is a Senate rule that when invoked requires 60 of the 100 senators to vote in order to pass legislation. In 1789, the U.S. Senate had rules that allowed an end to debate by a simple majority. This allowed the Senate to vote on legislation. Vice President Aaron Burr disliked this rule and felt as though it should be eliminated, it eventually was. This opened the gates for the creation of the filibuster.

The filibuster, up until the Civil War, was a very rare occurrence because Northern states were scared of Southern states fighting back. So Northern states continued to compromise with themselves in order to appease Southern states. Then, as more Southern states were added to the Union, the tenser the atmosphere became.

Then throughout the 20th century, the filibuster began to get used more but still not frequently. It was only during controversial legislation and acts of war that the filibuster may have been used and it was in the early 20th century when a rule change was made to add cloture to end the filibuster debate with a 2/3 majority vote.

Once the 1970s came, the filibuster became a more frequently used item. It became more common for not just acts of war, but for blocking civil rights legislation and continuing Jim Crow and segregation laws.