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13th Amendment (African Americans)
The 13th amendment led to the abolishment of slavery in the United States. When President Abraham Lincoln won the presidency he worked hard at the legislative process to get people to change their position regarding the amendment. Finally, the bill passed in December of 1865. This was a significant amendment because it finally allowed African Americans to get out of the cruel system of servitude which they were forced into for the past 200 years and were finally seen as human beings. -
Plessy v. Ferguson (African Americans)
In order to challenge segregation laws, Homer Plessy, a mixed man, sat in a whites-only car on a train and refused to leave. He filed a petition against the judge John Ferguson saying that the segregation law violated the 14th amendment. The Supreme Court declared that segregation was constitutional saying it is "separate but equal." This was a significant event because it showed how black Americans were not entirely equal on a social stance and had to continue the fight for equality. -
NAACP Created (African Americans)
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was created in New York by the founding members W.E.B Du Bois, Mary White Ovington, Moorfield Storey, and Ida B. Wells. The organization was significant as it worked to get many judicial reforms passed in order to help colored people gain more equality. The organization helped change the civil rights era through lobbying and protesting such as for the Brown v. Board, March on Washington, Freedom Summer, and Voting Act. -
19th Amendment (Women's Rights)
This granted women the right to vote. During this time period women were denied the right to own property, claim money they earned, or have the right to vote. These injustices gave rise to the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Activists such as Susan B. Anthony lobbied to grant women the right to vote and ultimately were able to be successful in their fight. This event was significant as it was a step in the right direction to bringing more rights to women and helping them reach equality. -
Executive Order 9981 (African Americans)
This was an executive order passed by President Harry Truman that called for the desegregation of the armed forces. African Americans had been fighting in the armed forces for a long time but they did not receive the same equality as their white counterparts. Organizations such as the NAACP pushed Truman to provide the same protections to African American soldiers and to end any special considerations. This was a significant event as African Americans advanced another step toward equality. -
Brown v. Board of Education (African Americans)
Oliver Brown filed a case against the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas when his daughter was denied entrance to an all-white elementary school, challenging the claim “separate but equal" as black schools lack equal amenities. After many years of the NAACP fighting, the supreme court finally ruled that “separate but equal” did not make education equal. This was a significant event because it helped to integrate schools and give black children the same rights as their white counterparts. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott (African Americans)
The event started when Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger. After that a bus boycott was organized where almost 40,000 black bus riders boycotted the bus system in order for their demands of removing the segregation laws to be met. This caused great economic loss for bus companies, especially since African Americans made up almost 75% of regular bus riders. On June 5, 1956 the demands of the protesters were met as segregation on buses was outlawed. -
Little Rock Nine (African Americans)
After the Brown v. Board of Education case, states worked towards integration of schools. The Little Rock Nine was a group of black students who became the first to enroll into the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. These students faced many challenges of hostility from peers and death threats, eventually getting protection from the National Troops.This event is significant as the Nine paved the path for many other black students to receive improved educational rights. -
Greensboro, NC Sit-Ins (African Americans)
This was a civil rights protest in North Carolina where four black men sat at a lunch counter which was meant for only white people, and refused to leave after they were denied service. This was the first of a whole movement of sit-ins which occurred throughout college towns and throughout the South. It forced many places to change their segregation laws. This was a significant event because it was yet another step for African Americans to get the same basic social rights as white people. -
Chicano Mural Movement (Chicano Movement)
During the Chicano Movement, with organizations like the Brown Berets, the goal was to bring a new political consciousness of self respect and cultural pride. Mexican American artists began creating art on walls of buildings throughout Southwest cities in order to depict their Hispanic culture. The artworks of these artists played a part in the movement of Hispanics trying to restore their cultural heritage and also share their thoughts and life experiences as Mexican Americans. -
Cesar Chavez (Chicano Movement & United Farm Workers Movement)
He was a union leader and labor organizer who founded the United Farm Workers Association. The purpose of the organization was to empower immigrant farm workers, improve working conditions, and fight for higher wages. The method of the organization was to use nonviolent protesting. One of the most famous protests was when the UFW boycotted grape growers. This was significant as it brought recognition to the UFW and what they stood for. -
March on Washington: "I Have a Dream" Speech (African Americans)
The March on Washington was a big protest march consisting of around 250,000 people who marched and gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the march was to raise awareness of the many inequalities which African Americans faced. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial Martin Luther King Jr gave his famous “I have a dream” speech where he spoke about his wish to see white people and people of color live together in harmony. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (African Americans)
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was first proposed by President JF Kennedy but was signed into law when President Lyndon B. Johnson took office. One of the most significant events of the Civil Rights Era, this law ended segregation in all public places and made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, or nationality. This was a significant event as all the hard work of civil rights activists finally paid off as they finally received the legal equality which was deserved. -
March from Selma, Alabama (African Americans)
Despite the fact that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned discrimination in voting, many southern states resisted the SNCC's attempts to register black voters. In order to raise awareness of this injustice, the protest march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama was arranged. Around 25,000 people, along with MLK, marched 54 miles while facing violence from extremist groups. This was a significant event as it showed the resilience and strength of the black community to fight for their rights -
Voting Rights Act of 1965 (African Americans)
After raising awareness of the voting issue through the Selma to Montgomery march, President Lyndon Johnson ordered for any barriers against African American voters to be removed. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 guaranteed all African Americans the right to vote and even banned literacy tests as requirements to vote. -
Black Panther Party (African Americans)
This was a political organization founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in order to shed light on the issue of police brutality against black people. The organization consisted of around 2,000 members and used weapons as self defense to send their message. Although the party eventually grew weak and fell apart, they were significant as they contributed to a number of social programs and brought awareness to police brutality. -
Thurgood Marshall appointed to the Supreme Court (African Americans)
President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Thurgood Marshall to the supreme court and Marshall became the first black justice in history. Marshall’s appointment to the court greatly helped to expand civil rights as well as enacted affirmative action and limited criminal punishment. He was a significant figure because he brought justice for a number of progressive cases. -
American Indian Movement (AIM) (Native Americans)
This was an organization founded by Dennis Banks, Clyde Bellecourt, Eddie Benton Banai, and George Mitchell in Minneapolis, Minnesota with the purpose to bring equality to Native Americans. The organization fought to get economic independence, reestablish their culture, receive protection of their legal rights, and for tribal areas to gain autonomy and restoration of their lands which had originally belonged to them. -
Sandra Day O'Connor appointed to the Supreme Court (Women's Rights)
Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She first served as majority leader on the Arizona Senate and was the first woman to have such a position. Once elected to the Supreme Court, O’Connor played a big role in being the swing vote in a number of case decisions.She is an important figure as she faced adversity and took a position which no other woman had reached at the time, proving that women have the capability of achieving anything they want. -
Sonia Sotomayor appointed to the Supreme Court (Chicano Movement & Women's Rights)
Sonia Sotomayor became the third woman and first ever Hispanic person to serve on the Supreme Court. Before being on the Supreme Court, Sotomayor was a federal judge in the U.S. District Court of New York. She is a significant figure because she paved a way for other women and Hispanic people and was an inspiration to these minority groups.
