Civil Rights Timeline

13th Amendment (African Americans)

Jan 31, 1865

Congress abolished slavery by declaring that it is illegal to partake in slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment (African Americans)

1868

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.

Tuskegee Institute (African American)

Jul 4, 1881

Founded by Booker T. Washington. It was created to train teachers in Alabama. It also provided African American students with vocational training.

Plessy v. Ferguson (African American)

May 18, 1896

In this court case, John Howard Ferguson and Homer Plessy argued over segregation and whether or not it is unconstitutional. The court ruled that racial segregation was constitutional.

NAACP Created (African Americans)

Feb 12, 1909

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was an organization created to gain equality and rid of race-based discrimination.

15th Amendment (African Americans)

Feb 12, 1909

Declared that states cannot turn down a citizen’s right to vote based on race or color.

19th Amendment (Women's Rights)

Aug 18, 1920

Any gender cannot be prevented from the right to vote.

Brown v. Board of Education (African Americans)

May 17, 1954

Linda Carol Brown and the Board of Education went to court over racial segregation in public schools. The court ruled that racial segregation violates the 14th amendment.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (African Americans)

Dec 5, 1955

A social protest where people boycotted the city buses in Montgomery, Alabama. These people protested segregated seating in city buses.

Little Rock Nine (African Americans)

Sep 4, 1957

The little rock nine were nine students who attended the first interracial high school. These students had to have security on them for protection from other white students.

Greensboro, NC Sit-ins (African Americans)

Feb 1, 1960

With racial segregation of restaurants, blacks would sit-in at the white-only restaurant counters in Greensboro, NC.

Cesar Chavez (Chicano Movement)

1962

Fought for equal labor, treatment, and pay for farmers. He used passive resistance. He formed the National Farm Workers Association that worked to empower farmers of America.

March on Washington: “I Have a Dream” Speech (African American)

Aug 28, 1963

A march for African Americans where over 100,000 blacks came on the 100th anniversary of the creation of the emancipation proclamation. During this march, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said his I have a dream speech.

24th Amendment (African Americans)

Jan 23, 1964

Prohibited poll tax on voting polls because in some states citizens had to pay a fee to vote, but this was banned unconstitutional with this amendment.

Civil Rights Act of 1964 (African Americans)

Jul 2, 1964

This act ended segregation of public facilities and places including water fountains, waiting rooms, etc. This particularly pertained to race, ethnicity, religion, and sex.

March from Selma, Alabama (African American)

Mar 17, 1965

A march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama to protest their inability to vote. This march is also known as Bloody Sunday because state and local men attacked the marchers.

Black Panthers (African American)

Oct 15, 1966

A party created by Huey Newton to protect African Americans in ghetto areas of the united states.

American Indian Movement (AIM) (Native American)

1968

Created to protect the legal rights of American Indian citizens. Especially tribal areas. It also protests racism and defends civil rights.

MLK Assassination (African Americans)

Apr 4, 1968

Even though MLK preached nonviolence towards African Americans, after his death, many violent riots broke out throughout America.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Proposed (Women)

Mar 22, 1972

An amendment created by congress to allow equal rights to every U.S. citizen, regardless of citizens. For example divorce.