How did President Lyndon B. Johnson respond to the events of the 1965 Selma marches?

President Lyndon B. Johnson responded to the 1965 Selma marches by introducing voting rights legislation to Congress. He likened the events in Selma to the Battles of Lexington and Concord, emphasizing their significance in American history. Johnson invoked the civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome" in a speech to Congress, stating that the cause of African Americans was a cause for all Americans. He federalized the Alabama National Guard and dispatched U.S. Army troops to protect the marchers as they proceeded from Selma to Montgomery, ultimately leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.123