-
13th Amendment Ratified
Freed all slaves and forbade slavery in the United States. There was no compensation for the slaveowners. It marked the official end to slavery. -
14th Amendment Ratified
Declared people born or naturalized in the US were entitled to equal rights regardless of their race, granted at a state and national level. This granted minorities born in the US citizenship. -
15th Amendment Ratified
Prohibited the denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. This ultimately extended voting rights to all men. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
This court case revolved around Homer Plessy refusing to get off a car reserved for the white population. Thus, he went to court against John H. Ferguson and claimed that his actions were justified under the 14th Amendment. The ruling was that racial segregation was legal under the idea of "separate but equal". -
NAACP Founded
Standing for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the NAACP was a civil rights organization that fought for political, educational, social, and economic equality. The NAACP was arguably the most important group leading up to the civil rights movement. -
19th Amendment Ratified
The 19th amendment extended voting rights to American women. The leaders of the fight for the women's right to vote, or women's suffrage, were most notably Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. This ultimately extended voting rights to all. -
The Proposal of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment that was made to protecting women against any state or federal laws that could discriminate against them. Its purpose was to create a fairer democracy. -
Executive Order 9981 Issued
Executive Order 9981 was issued by President Truman in order to abolish racial division in the military. This was a notable step in the desegregation of the military. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a court case that ruled the racial segregation of students in public schools unconstitutional. This demonstrated that all things were not "separate and equal". -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
After four days after Rosa Parks was arrested and fined for refusing to give up her bus seat reserved for whites, the African American community boycotted public transportation from December 5, 1955, to December 20, 1956. This led to the federal court ruling that racially segregated seats violated the 14th Amendment on June 5, 1956. -
Little Rock 9
Nine African American students enrolled at Little Rock Central High School. Their governor, Orval Faubus, blocked the African American students from getting into the school. Then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower saw this event, so he sent federal troops to escort the group of kids into the school. This brought attention to the civil rights movement. -
South Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) formed
An African-American civil rights organization created by Martin Luther King Jr. They promoted nonviolent protest and relied on the power of black churches. Throughout the Civil Rights Movement, the SCLC was important in organizing protest. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957 Passed
Signed by President Eisenhower, the Civil Rights Act of 1957 allowed for federal prosecution of anyone who prevented another person from voting. This also commissioned an investigation of voter fraud. -
Greensboro, NC Sit-ins
The sit-ins were protested at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, starting with young African American students. The protest became widespread and led to change in Woolworth's discriminating policies. -
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) formed
The SNCC was an organization that was targeted towards younger Black people to give them a voice in the midst of the civil rights protest. Ella Baker, the director of the SCLC, helped start this organization after seeing the voice of the youth in the Greensboro sit-ins. -
Freedom Riders
The Freedom Riders took bus trips through the South to protest the segregation in public transit. They also used "white-only" bathrooms and lunch counters, resulting in their arrest. White protestors along their route were extremely violent, drawing in international attention. -
Cesar Chavez
The founder of the National Farm Workers Association, an organization that strove for better working conditions for farmers. He was instrumental in the voice of the Mexican minority groups. -
Dr. King’s: “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail was a response to the Christian and Jewish community that believed African Americans should wait for justice. In the letter, he justified protest as civil disobedience and stated his goals for the Civil Rights Movement. -
March on Washington: “I have a dream” speech
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech was famous for its call for a more perfect union with an end to racism. It was a cry for ending racial tensions in the US as the speech was powerful and inspiring. -
Chicano Movement (Mural Movement)
A social and political movement that marked the start of a Mexican nationalist movement. It included the murals that were symbolic of Mexican culture. (The date below shows is the formation date of the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee because their was no specific date to start the Chicano Movement)
