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13th Amendment
Ended slavery in the United States. It set AA free from control from the south. However, it left them dirt poor and still highly discriminated. This then led to the Civil Rights Movement for AA equality and rights. -
14th Amendment
Rights of citizenship, due process of law, and equal protection of the law. The 14th amendment has become one of the most used amendments in court to date regarding the equal protection clause. -
15th Amendment
All men of age are allowed to vote. However, AA were given a literacy test in the south that was nearly impossible to pass. This caused them not to vote. Equality was not given and protests arose in protest. This only occurred in the south. -
Plessy vs Ferguson
A lawsuit where a man who was not visually seen as black rode in the front of the bus. He got arrested testing his new rights. The jury council declared that segregation is legal as long as it’s equal. -
19th Amendment
Women gained the right to vote!! Granted more civil rights like men. After years and years of fighting, women finally given the right to vote. And with this, women make great strides for education, childcare, and health care. -
Equal rights Amendment (ERA) Proposed
Banned discrimination based on gender. Passed by congress, but it was never ratified. Supposed to give women equal rights, but was never ratified. Many people had a lot of hope in this act, but it failed by three votes. many people worked endlessly to get it to where it went in the gov. -
Executive Order 9981
Abolish discrimination on race, religion, color, and nationality int he Armed Forces. Anyone could fight and hold a gun, however, when AA came back from the Vietnam War, they were not granted the same rights as white soldiers. -
Brown v. Board of Education
It abolished segregation in public schools. Schools could be ran with mixed colors rather than divided ones. This helped incorporate children of all backgrounds. This will also lead to the Little Rock Nine (later explained). -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
A bus boycott led by MLK to protest against having to sit in the back of the bus. This was a peaceful protest stating they are not separate and should be able to sit wherever they want. They proceeded to walk EVERYWHERE for a year until the state allowed them to sit anywhere due to the boycott causing an economic problem amongst the state. -
Little Rock Nine
A group of AA teenagers granted to attend a previously all white school. Many people protested against it and even the governor sent the national guard to prevent them from going into that building. Eisenhower then proceeded to send actual military troops to escort them to and from school to protect them from the national guard and discriminatory people. -
Civil Rights Ace of 1957
First civil rights act since reconstruction. Established a Civil Rights section of the Justice Department. This Act attempted to help AA vote, however, it failed due to the south using literacy tests in order to vote. The south was very creative with stopping AA, and they followed Jim Crow Laws in any way they could regardless of laws placed.. -
Chicano Movement (Mural Movement)
Artists began painting murals on buildings, schools, churches, and other random projects. This was used to showcase Mexiacn American culture. This was to help fight for equality amongst Mexican Americans socially and politically. Some Mex Am have been living in the US for generations, but have not gained equality. -
Freedom Riders
Civil Rights activists who traveled to and from the south in buses to protest segregation. They went across many states in protest of segregation. They wanted to end segregation at bus stops, buses, public transportation, and other public interactions. -
March on Washington: “I have a dream” speech
MLK spoke out on the March on Washington. His goal was stop bring light to the suffering and discrimination on AA. I repeated the saying of “I have a dream” in hopes to persuade others to stand with him and to rally a movement against discrimination and segregation. It helped Congress to pass a anti segregation act. A miracle speaker. -
24th Amendment
Abolished poll tax for federal elections. Many AA were freed, but they had nothing when they were freed. No land, money, food. They were dirt poor. Because of this, AA couldn’t pay to vote. This amendment helped give AA a voice in the government. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Ended segregation in public places. People could no longer segregate people based on color, race, religion, gender, or nationality. A great achievement among civil rights activists. The south now had a harder time enforcing their segregation "rules" after this was passed. -
Voting Act of 1965
(Johnson) An act used to supposedly fight off legal interference from states and locals that didn’t let AA vote. AA had the right, but outside forces prevented them from using their rights to vote. It banned poll taxes, literacy tests, and so on from being used against AA. -
Black Panthers
A political organization formed by AA in 1966 to fight against the harshness of white police officers. They built power in this organization to fight back and stand up for themselves. They helped protect innocents and helped in ghetto areas. However, they contrasted quite a bit with other mainstream civil rights activists due to their thoughts being mainly focused on the need to build power for their own rather than blend in with other society. They were separate, but still powerful. -
American Indian Movement
A group of civil rights activists fighting for rights for Native Americans. They also advocated for treaties and sovereignty. They wanted economic independence, protection of legal rights, protection of their culture, and claim on their original land. Later their group will be put down my US troops in a massacre at Wounded Knee. -
MLK Assasination In Tennessee by James Earl Ray
He was protesting for AA workers to give them rights, wages, and conditions. His death affected everyone in America. He was the symbol of change, hope, civil rights, and a better future. Many retaliated after his death. It led to a greater divide between the two. AA began to think if MLK couldn’t help them, who was the most peaceful and generous person leading them, then they will never be accepted into society. It fueled some AAs to a more violent approach to fight for their rights.