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Jan 3, 1500
Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade begins
Between the 16th and 19th centuries 12 million African slaves crossed the Atlantic ocean. Slaves were used to grow cash crops in America. -
The Stono Rebellion
This was a slave rebellion in South Carolina. It was the largest slave uprising in the colonies. 21 whites and 44 slaves were killed. -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
This was written to regulate the settlement of the Northwest territory. It forbade slavery in those territories. -
Three Fiths Compromise
The South feared that slavery would be in jeapordy if the North was in control. To appease the South, they counted slaves as three fifths of a person, so that the population would be higher. -
Cotton Gin was invented
Eli Whitney created the cotton gin which stimulated the economy of the South. This made seed removal faster and slavery more prominent. Slave owners production doubled. -
Nat Turners Rebellion
This was a slave rebellion that occurred in Virginia. This rebellion caused the highest number of fatalities. -
Texas Joins the Union
Texas was officially annexed in 1845. It entered the union as a slave state. -
The Wilmont Proviso is written
This introduced an ammendment to ban slavery in newly acquired territory. It did not pass and kept the South a part of the Union. -
Fugitive Slave Law
One of the four points of the Compromise of 1850 was the fugitive slave law. It said that slaves that escaped to the North were to be returned to their masters. -
The Kansas Nebraska Act
Kansas and Nebraska entered the Union with popular sovereignty. This went against the Missouri compromise by allowing slavery on sates in the Louisiana Purchase. -
The Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott, a slave, sued for being taken by his master to a slave state. The Supreme Court claimed that slaves were property and could be taken anywhere. -
John Browns Raid
John Brown helped start a slave uprising to end slavery. This was unsuccessful because no slaves attended, but he was seen as a martyr to the North and a terrorist to the South. -
The Election of 1860
President Abraham Lincoln was elected. The South seceded from the Union in fear of losing their slaves. -
Emancipation Proclamation
President Lincoln released the Emancipation Proclamation during the battle of Antietam. This stated that slaves would be freed not only making the war about maintaining the Union. -
The Confederate Surrender
Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union officially ending the American Civil War. This meant that slaves were officially free. -
13th Amendment
After the civil war this amendment was put into place to abolish slavery. -
Freedmans Bureau
This provided food, clothing, and medical care to freed slaves. This also established the first black colleges. -
Black Codes
These were "laws" created in the south to limit the rights of African Americans. This was the south showing resistance to black equality -
Ku Klux Klan
This was founded to resist new black freedoms. They used fear tactics to stop blacks from voting. -
14th Amendment
This amendment was made to grant citizenship and legal rights to all former slaves. -
15th Amendment
This amendment was made to give all African American men the right to vote. -
Force acts
Congress used these to abolish the KKK. It was successful at limiting their activities, but the group still existed. -
Plessy vs Ferguson
This was a court case declaring that whites and people of color were "Seperate, but Equal." -
The Harlem Renissance
This was the time of African American literary awakening. A lot of art and writings celebrating black culture came out during this time. -
NAACP
This was a group established to challenge the constitutionality of segregation. Stands for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. -
Jackie Robinson
He joined the Dodgers and became the first African American to play in the major baseball league. This showed that some progress was being made in desegregating America. -
Truman advocates Equality
Truman wanted more opportunities for African Americans. He issued an executive order desegregating the military. -
Brown vs Board of education
The Supreme Court ruled that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This meant that african americans wouldbe gettinga better chance at education. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The SCLC organized tis boycott and it led to forced changes in the policy of transportation. -
Little Rock 9
This was a group of African American kids that wemt to all white schools. This was the beginning of better oppourtunities in education for blacks. -
Ruby Bridges
This was the first black child to attend an all white elementary school. This showed the hostility the south had for desegregating schools. -
Letter from a Birmingham Jail
While in Jail, MLK wrote a letterdescribing how fighting racism should be in court and not fought in the streets. This began making racism a more political subject. -
MLK's March on Washington
In response to support from Kennedy, the SCLC planned the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This is where King's famous speech I Have a Dream was said. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act outlawed the discrimination of African Americans and women in government jobs, voting
requirements, and segregation in public schools. -
March on Selma
The SNCC and SCLC came together to organize a nonviolent march to protest voting discriminationin the south. The march became violent and known as "Bloody Sunday." This gained more sympathy for the black civil rights movement. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This expanded on the 15th ammendment, outlawing literacy tests and poll taxes. This showed progress in the political side of racism. -
The Black Panthers
This was a group formed in Oakland made to battle the discrimination of blacks by the goverment. This group used violence to get their point across unlike the nonviolent protesters people were used to seeing. -
Thurgood Marshall
He was the head of the legal team in the NAACP. He was also appointed the first African American in the Supreme Court. -
MLK's Assasination
MLK was assasinated by James Earl Ray while outside a hotel. This was a devastating day for any people; even people that did not support his cause were shocked. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
This case created affirmative action which is a law that allows race to be a deciding factor in college admission and also made specific quotas for each racial group. This made college more accesible for African Americans. -
Martin Luther King Day
President Reagan signed a bill making the MLK holiday celebrated in January. -
Affirmative Action Debates
Some states claimed that affirmative action caused "reverse racism." In response Proposition 209 passed eliminating affirmative action laws in California. Many states followed after this.
