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Dred Scott Case
Supreme Court Case where a man, Dred Scott, moved to a Wisconsin territory from Missouri and argued that he should now be free because they live in a free state. He ends up suing the family and it results in the decision that he is basically property so he has no rights. -
Birth Control Made Illegal
A Federal Law was put in place that criminalized birth control. The “Comstock Law” was passed that listed contraceptives as “obscene material” and made the distribution of birth control items via postal service and interstate commerce illegal. This was not fully repealed until 1965. -
Anglican Church Accepts Birth Control
The Anglican Church was the first religion to accept birth control. Prior to this year, all denominations of Christian churches opposed the use of contraceptives because they felt sex should only be used for reproduction and not enjoyment. Soon after other denominations followed, but to this day the Catholic Church still does not support it. -
WWII Begins
WWII begins with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Dorie Miller was a black cook on one of the ships that was near the bombing. He jumped on a gun and took down several planes, moved wounded soldiers to safety, received the Navy Cross, and was the first African American to receive such an honor. This made national headlines because it was a significant event that occurred and a black man was looked upon with grateful and positive eyes. -
Rosa Parks Arrested
In Montgomery, AL, Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat to a white person. This was considered “Civil Disobedience” even though she was disobeying in a respectful way. -
The Pill is Released
Due to Margret Sanger’s partnership with Katherine McCormick, the first birth control pill was released. Sanger dreamed of a day where easier options for preventing pregnancy would be available for women, and McCormick who funded the research necessary for this helped to make her dream possible. -
Civil Rights Act Signed
President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act and makes it happen. This law prevents discrimination against African Americans in the work force. This is currently in front of the Supreme Court again to see if it is still constitutional. -
Birth Control Issue Goes to Supreme Court
A law in Connecticut made it illegal to buy or sell contraceptives; however the Supreme Court ruled that law unconstitutional. This case was called Griswold v. Connecticut. Their reasoning that the law was that it “violated the right marital privacy.” It stated that married couples cannot use birth control. Even though the official ban was lifted, the right to use contraceptives is continually challenged still today. -
MLK Assassinated
Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. The day before, he gives one of his famous speeches, The Mountaintop Speech, and the next morning when he leaves his hotel room he is shot. This, while it is an incredibly sad event, is probably one of the better things that happened to this movement because he was martyr. -
Olyimpics
Makes headlines in newspapers and becomes a symbol of black power. The black competitors even wore black shoes and socks to symbolize poverty in both the black world and in America. If they won, they were an American, but if they lost or did anything wrong, they were simply black. -
Birth Control Cost Taken Away by Obama
Beginning this year, those who are employed will have their birth control costs taken care of by the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” This could potentially reverse the impact the economy has recently had on family planning options.
