The key historical event involving the march to Montgomery for voting rights was the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. These marches were organized to protest racial discrimination in voting, specifically the systemic barriers that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote in the South. The most notable march, occurring on March 7, 1965, known as "Bloody Sunday," ended violently when marchers were brutally attacked by law enforcement at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. This event drew national attention, leading to significant public support for civil rights and ultimately contributing to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which aimed to eliminate such barriers.