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13th Amendment
Abolished Slavery and Indentured Servitude, except as punishment for a crime. Freed all the slaves in the south and seriously crippled the CSA’s War machine -
14th Amendment
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. -
15th Amendment
Prohibits state and Federal governments from denying any citizen the right to vote based on race, color, and previous condition of servitude. Gave all free slaves (men) the right to vote. -
Tuskegee Institute created
The first black university is founded in Alabama by Booker T. Washington. Home of the renowned professor George Washington Carver. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Upheld constitutionality of racial segregation laws as long as the public facilities were of equal stature. Made “Separate but equal” legal and constitutional -
NAACP created
Civil rights organization for justice is founded in New York City. Chartered the Niagara Movement, challenged the law in Guinn v. United States, and began an anti-lynching campaign in 1917. -
19th Amendment
Prohibited state and federal governments from denying the right to vote based on the premise of sex. Gave women across America the right to vote. -
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) proposed
Designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Sought to dispute problems based on sex in employment, marriage, and divorce. -
Executive Order 9981
Signed by President Harry S. Truman, effectively desegregated the American Military. Allows Whites and Blacks to fight in the same regiment. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Ruled that racial segregation in American Public Schools was unconstitutional, regardless of equality. Paved the way for Black students to be integrated into previously all-white schools. -
Montgomery Bus Boycot
Year-long boycott during which African Americans refused to write the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama. Ended with Supreme court ruling segregation of public buses was unconstitutional. -
Little Rock 9
Nine African American students enrolled at Little Rock Central High School were routinely denied entrance by Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus. Ended when president Eisenhower sent the National Guard to protect them. -
Freedom Riders
Group of Political Activists who rode buses into the Segregationist South to protest for equal rights. They protested the bus terminals that were still segregated. Met with violence and opposition. -
24th Amendment
Outlawed the poll Tax. Prohibits Congress and the states from levying a tax on voting. One more step in the direction of outlawing segregationist practices in voting booths. -
Cesar Chavez
Latino American Activist who led the five-year Delano Grape Boycott. The boycott eventually led to the establishment of a minimum wage, healthcare, and protection from exploitation. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Passed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, completely outlawed all discrimination on the premise of race in voting practices. Allowed Blacks and all minorities to vote freely without segregation. -
Black Panthers
Founded by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, was an organization founded with the premise of “self-Defense”. They would frequently go on patrol, often monitoring white police officers to ensure no illegal acts took place. -
MLK assassinated
In Memphis Tennessee, MLK Jr. was standing on the balcony of his hotel room when James Earl Ray shot and killed him from across the street. Proponents of Black Justice had lost one of their most prominent speakers -
American Indian Movement (AIM)
Formed to address systematic issues of poverty and police brutality in Native American communities. They fought for Tribal land and treaty rights, but were ultimately unsuccessful. -
Sandra Day O’Connor appointed to the Supreme Court
In 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor was appointed to the United States Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan, becoming the first female justice appointed in U.S. History