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The 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was ratified in the House of Representatives, thus abolishing slavery. Despite this, the amendment did not end discrimination towards Black people. -
The 14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment gave citizenship to all people born in the United States, including former slaves. This gave them equal protection under the law. This amendment was created because of the black codes that were enacted after the ratification of the 13th Amendment. -
The 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment granted the right to vote to African American men. Despite this amendment being ratified, discriminatory practices o prevent them from voting were still used. -
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Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was a Supreme Court landmark case that questioned the constitutionality of racial segregation. The Supreme Court ruled that the doctrine "separate but equal" was merely a legal distinction and was not found to be unconstitutional. Because of this ruling, Jim Crow laws that harmed black people became commonplace. -
The 19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment, also known as women's suffrage, granted women the right to vote. This amendment was finally ratified after nearly a century of protests. -
Native Americans Gain Citizenship
In 1924, Native Americans were finally recognized as United States citizens. Despite this, it wouldn't be until 50 years later that all states allowed the minority to vote. -
Executive Order 9981
This was an Executive Order given by President Harry Truman to end racial segregation in the Armed Services. -
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Brown v. Topeka Board of Education
This was a Supreme Court landmark case that questioned the constitutionality of racial segregation in public schools. By a unanimous decision, it was found that racial segregation was unconstitutional and caused more harm than good. -
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine were a group of black students who attended an all-white school. This was a test of the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education landmark case that ruled segregation in schools to be unconstitutional. This group brought national attention to the Civil Rights movement. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 authorized the prosecution for those who prevented United States citizens from voting. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1960
The Civil Rights Act of 1960 established federal inspections of local voting places to ensure that there were no attempts to prevent someone from voting. If anyone was caught doing so, they would face punishment. -
The 24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment got rid of the poll tax as a requirement for voting. This amendment was passed because poll tax disproportionately prevented African Americans and other minorities from being able to vote. -
March on Washington
This was a protest of approximately 250,000 people who wanted freedom and jobs. This was also the place in which Martin Luther King jr. gave his "I Have A Dream" speech. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 guaranteed equal employment opportunities and limited the use of literacy tests for voting, -
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed discriminatory voting practices such as literacy tests. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1968
The Civil Rights Act of 1968 was put into place just days after Martin Luther King jr's death. This act prevented discrimination based on sex, race, national origin, and religion. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1970
The Voting Rights Act of 1970 extended the ban on literacy tests to the whole nation. -
The 26th Amendment
The 26th Amendment lowered the legal voting age from 21 to 18. This was done because many felt that it was wrong to deny 18-year-olds the right to vote when they were able to be shipped off to war. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1975
The Voting Rights Act of 1975 made the ban of literacy tests permanent and expanded the voting rights of minority groups. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1982
The Voting Rights Act of 1982 permanently extended the voting provisions set into place by the previous acts. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
This was a Supreme Court landmark case that granted the right to marriage for same-sex couples.