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13 Amendment
The 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States. It was a transformative moment in American history. “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist” had the immediate and powerful effect of abolishing chattel slavery in the southern United States. -
14 Amendment
Granted citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States." It also declared that states may not deny any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law." It protected all Americans rights. -
15 Amendment
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It was an important step in the struggle for voting rights for African Americans and it laid the groundwork for future civil rights activism. -
Tuskegee Institute created
Booker T. Washington founded Tuskegee Institute to train African-Americans in agriculture and industry and promote the economic progress of his race. It was was the first institution of higher learning for African Americans. -
Plessy v Ferguson
Homer Plessy refused to abide by the "white only train" and he was found guilty due to "separate but equal". It established the constitutionality of racial segregation. -
NAACP created
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is a civil rights organization founded to advance justice for African Americans. Helped ensure African Americans their rights. -
19th Amendment
Guarantees American women the right to vote. A milestone for the abolishing of gender and race discrimination after a lengthy fight. -
Executive Order 9981
Abolished discrimination based on race color and religion in the United States Armed Forces, and led to the end of segregation in the services during the Korean War. -
Brown v Board of Education
Established that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. It signaled the end of legalized racial segregation in the schools of the United States, overruling the "separate but equal". -
Emmett Till's Death
Emmet Till, a 14 year old African American was brutally murdered for allegedly flirting with a white women four days earlier. Emmett Till's murder was a spark in the upsurge of activism and formed Civil Rights movement. -
Little Rock 9
A group of nine African American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School. Their enrollment was followed by the Little Rock Crisis, in which the students were initially prevented from entering the racially segregated school. Topeka made segregation in public schools illegal. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
Intended to protect the right of African Americans to vote. Significant because it was a step to abolishing discrimination. -
Greensboro NC Sit-in’s
Act of nonviolent protest against a segregated lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. Its success led to a wider sit-in movement, and soon dining facilities across the South were being integrated. -
March on Washington – “I have a Dream Speech”
"I Have a Dream" is a speech that was delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It became one of the defining moments of the civil rights movement and one of the most iconic speeches in American history. -
24 Amendment
This amendment outlawed the poll tax as a voting requirement in federal election. The poll tax aimed to disenfranchise black voters and institute segregation. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Declared no segregation in public places and no discrimination of employment based on race or gender. Nations benchmark for civil rights legislation. -
March from Selma Alabama
John Lewis led over 600 marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama and faced brutal attacks by oncoming state troopers. When the public saw this, it collectively shocked the nation and motivated the fight against racial injustice. It became known as "bloody sunday". -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Outlawed measures that target African Americans in voting. Ended literacy tests as a prerequisite to voting. -
Black Panthers
A political organization founded to challenge police brutality against the African American community. It was a revolutionary organization with an ideology of Black nationalism, socialism, and armed self-defense, -
Equal Rights Amendment
Proposed to provide legal equality of all sexes and sought to prohibit and end discrimination.