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Dred Scott Decision
Chief Justice Roger Taney expressed that a free black man couldn't claim any rights of citizenship under the constitution. -
Lincoln's Assassination
After Lincoln's death, President Johnson enacted black codes that angered northerners. These laws denied African Americans many of their rights. -
Ratification of the 13th Amendment
Abolished Slavery and protected the rights of black Americans, but many didn't believe the blacks were Americans. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
Guaranteed citizenship to those of any race, color, or those who were slaves. This would lead to the 14th as many southerners restricted the rights of former slaves. -
14th Amendment Proposed
Passed through both Congress and Senate, and proposed for ratification against President Johnson's objections. -
Ratification
Louisiana and South Carolina voted to ratify reaching the 2/3 majority of states. Most southern states resisted ratifing, but were requested to do so if they wanted more Congressional representation. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Ruled that "separate but equal" laws were constutional under the 14th Amendment leading to years of Jim Crow Laws. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson violated the 14th Amendment, and the "seperate but equall" laws were found unconstitutional. -
"I have a dream"- Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. fought for change according to the ruling of Brown v. Board of Education -
New Jersey is the last state to ratify.
New Jersey had originally ratified the amendment in 1866, but revoked its vote in 1868. It took over a hundred years for New Jersey to re-ratify the amendment. New Jersey is not the only state to do this. Ohio and Oregon did this as well.
