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Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence, led by John Adams, announced to Great Britain that the 13 colonies are newly independent soveign states. originally drafted by Thomas Jefferson and approved by a committee of five. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention. It advertised itself as "a convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman". Their mission was to spread the word about women's suffrage. -
13th Amendment
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. It was the first of the three Reconstruction Amendments adopted following the American Civil War. -
14th Amendment
Part of the Reconstruction Amendments, the 14th ensured that the
Civil Rights Act would remain vaild. It ensured that all people born in the United States would have full and equal benefits under the law. -
15th Amendment
he 15th Amendment overturned the preexisting statute prohibiting African-American citizens of the United States from suffrage; furthermore, any previous station of servitude or slavery undertaken by any individual was immaterial with regard to the right to vote. -
Colorado becomes first state to allow women to vote
A referendum on women's suffrage was held in the U.S. state of Colorado to ratify a proposed constitutional amendment allowing women the right to vote. This was the first time in U.S. history that a state referendum had passed women's suffrage into law. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
A Supreme Court case involving a black man refusing to sit in the colored train car and was arreseted. The Supreme Court's decision was agasint Plessy based on "seperate-but-equal" and wasnt changed until Brown vs Board of Education. -
NAACP Founded
The NAACP is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination". -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment gave the right to any citizen to vote and not be dicriminated against based on sex. A bill was presented for 40 years before the bill was finally passed and ratified by the states. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Brwon vs. Board of Education was a Supreme Court case in which the Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. Because of the schools not being equal and causes problems in children's learning. -
Executive Order 10450
Charged the heads of federal agencies with investigating federal employees to determine whether they posed security risks. It expanded the definitions and conditions used to make such determinations. -
One, Inc vs. Olesen
It was the first U.S. Supreme Court ruling to deal with homosexuality and the first to address free speech rights with respect to homosexuality. The decision open the doors for gays and lesbians regarding their rights. -
Illinois is first to repeal its sodomy laws
Illinois became the first state to make same-sex sexual activity legal by repealling its sodomy laws. law discriminated against gays by not allowing them to show affection in publc but that changed soon after the law was passed. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment made it unconstitutional to deny the right for someone to vote based on if they dont have the proper funds for a poll tax. The amendment makes it easier for everyone to vote even if they dont have enough money to pay a tax. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Act outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and had a huge impact on civil rights as a whole. It ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace and by facilities that served the general public -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Designed to enforce the voting rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Act is considered to be the most effective piece of civil rights legislation ever enacted in the country. -
Stonewall Inn Riots
The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay community against a police raid. They are widely considered to constitute the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights in the United States. -
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities which receive Federal financial assistance. Title IX gives women the right to play sports equally as men but also protects against discrimination in any educational program. -
APA removes homosexuality as a mental disorder
Classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder was the thought throughout most of the 20th century. But because data consistently failed to produce any scientific basis for regarding homosexuality as a disorder, the illness was removed. -
Dont Ask Dont Tell
was the official United States policy on service by gays and lesbians in the military instituted by the Clinton Administration. The policy prohibited people who "demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts" from serving in the armed forces of the United States. -
Defense Marriage Act
The Defense Marriage Act is a United States federal law that allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states. They barred same-sex married couples from being recognized as "spouses" for purposes of federal laws, effectively barring them from receiving federal marriage benefits. -
Massachusetts Legalizes Gay Marriage
It was the first U.S. state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Gave the rights and benefits of marriage to same sex couples and allowed them to marry. Very controversial. -
Don't Ask Don't Tell Repealed
The repeal allowed gays, lesbians, and bisexuals to serve openly in the United States Armed Forces. It ended the policy in place since 1993 that allowed them to serve only if they kept their sexual orientation secret and the military did not learn of their sexual orientation.
