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Period: 1500 to 1515
Black slaves from western Africa are brought to European colonies in the Americas
early 1500's -
Period: 1500 to
About 12 million black slaves shipped from Africa to the Western Hemisphere by Europeans
1500's to mid-1800's -
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First black African slaves arrive in America
early 1600's -
Virginia makes slavery legal in colonial America
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About 200,000 slaves live in the colonies
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mid-1830's : abolitionists begin to enter politics and use their homes to help black slaves escape the South to enjoy freedom in the North
This was called the "Underground Railroad" even though it wasn't underground and didn't involve any trains. Hiding places were known as "stations" and people who helped were called "conductors." Harriet Tubman, a runaway slave herself, was one of the most famous conductors, helping about 300 blacks escape to freedom. -
Freedmen's Bureau
Established by Congress to help former slaves resettle into life. Despite its accomplishments, the Freedmen's Bureau did not solve the serious economic problems of black Americans. Most continued to live in poverty. They also suffered from racist threats and laws limiting their freedom and civil rights. -
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The black codes
Laws passed by many Southern state governments
Some of these codes did not allow black people to own land. Others established a nightly curfew and some allowed states to jail black individuals for not having a job. The black codes shocked a powerful group of northern congressmen called the Radical Republicans. They worked hard to pass the 14th Amendment, which gave citizenship to black Americans. It also guaranteed that federal and state laws would apply equally to everyone, regardless of color -
Hiram Revels : 1st Black U.S. Senator
Revels was a pastor and defied the law by allowing slaves to worship in his church. He also started a school to teach black children to read and write. -
Niagara Movement
Founded by a group of black scholars and teachers led by W.E.B. Du Bois. The scholars met in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to pass resolutions, or formal statements, demanding full equality. -
NAACP
a group of black and white citizens in New York City committed to social justice founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Du Bois's Niagara Movement merged with the NAACP. The NAACP's goals were to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority citizens. The group also worked to eliminate racial discrimination. Today, the NAACP is the nation's largest and most well-known civil rights organization -
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Harlem Renaissance
many black artists, poets, writers and musicians moved to Harlem, a section of New York City, where they became well-known for their writing, art and music. During this time, black artists were able to open the publics' eyes about being black in America. It was called a renaissance, or rebirth, because African Americans took their pain and suffering and successfully turned it into art. -
Linda Brown court case
7-year-old Linda Brown of Topeka, Kansas, is denied access to a school that was just four blocks from her home because she is black. Her father brings the case to court. -
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Beginning of the civil rights movement
Black leaders began to use marches, demonstrations and the courts to defeat racist laws. -
U.S. Supreme Court rules that racial segregation in public schools violates the Constitution
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Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat to a white person, is arrested
Black leaders urged black people to boycott the buses in Montgomery. A young preacher named Martin Luther King Jr. led the peaceful boycott. Though originally scheduled for only one day, the boycott lasted 381 days. People walked many miles to work or home to avoid using the buses and the bus companies lost around $3,000 each day. The U.S. Supreme Court finally ruled that Montgomery could no longer have a segregated public transportation system because it violated the Constitution -
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Malcolm X/Nation of Islam
During the early 1960s, Malcolm X gained recognition as the spokesman for the Nation of Islam, a group of Black Muslims who supported the idea of creating a separate black nation. Malcolm X spoke out forcefully against the unfair treatment of black Americans and encouraged them to use "any means necessary," including the use of violence, to achieve equality -
March on Washington/MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech
The civil rights movement reached its height of attention and impact with a huge March in Washington, D.C. The March on Washington attracted more than 200,000 marchers to the Lincoln Memorial.
After the march, King and other civil rights leaders met with President John F. Kennedy and Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson in the White House. -
Malcolm X/Mecca
Malcolm X travels to the Islamic holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Inspired by his pilgrimage, or journey to a sacred place, Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam and changed his views, choosing a more peaceful route to accomplish his goals. -
Civil Rights Act
Following the assassination of President Kennedy, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law. The law guaranteed equal rights for black Americans in employment, voting, and the use of public facilities. -
Voting Rights Act
Ended racist laws that required black voters to pay a special tax or take a reading test before voting. The new law increased black voter registration throughout the South, especially in Mississippi. -
Malcolm X is killed
Malcolm X is shot and killed in New York City by Black Muslims who didn't agree with his new ideas. -
MLK is killed
Martin Luther King Jr., who many believe was the most important leader of the civil rights movement, was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 39. A week of rioting in at least 125 cities across the nation followed King's death. -
Shirley Chisholm : 1st Black congresswoman
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Laws passed by Congress
Congress passed two important laws that helped expand job opportunities to black workers. Called affirmative action laws, they required governments and public institutions to hire more minorities, including black and female workers, because of past discrimination against these minorities as a group. Since the laws were passed, there has been a huge increase in the number of minorities in all areas of employment. -
MLK Day
President Ronald Reagan signs into law a bill declaring Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday. -
Rainbow Coalition
A group founded by Rev. Jesse Jackson. Today remains active in promoting civil rights for all minorities. -
1st MLK Day
Every year, on the third Monday in January, the nation honors King's memory and spirit and the great strides he made toward equality for all Americans. -
Jesse Jackson runs for President for the 2nd time
In 1983, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a famous civil rights leader, announced his plan to run for President. Jackson ran in 1984 and 1988, and received 6.7 million votes in the 1988 presidential primary election, putting him solidly in third place. Jackson's two campaigns were important because they showed the key role black people play in national politics. Today, Jackson remains the nation's most well known black political leader. -
Million Man March
Organized by the Nation of Islam and its controversial leader, Louis Farrakhan. About 400,000 people, mostly black men and boys, participated in the march. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, poet Maya Angelou and Rosa Parks, the mother of the civil rights movement, made speeches at the march. They spoke about the unfairness still faced by black men in this country. They also urged black men to be leaders in their communities and to work together to improve life for all black Americans. -
Barack Obama wins presidential elections
He won more votes than any candidate in U.S. history. -
Obama/1st African-American U.S. President