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1865 - 13th Amendment
Abolished slavery
Ended legal ownership of human beings
Transformed national social structure -
1868 - 14th Amendment
Guaranteed equal protection under law
Granted citizenship to former slaves
Prohibited states from denying fundamental rights -
1870 - 15th Amendment
Prohibited racial discrimination in voting
Allowed Black men to vote
Critical step in political representation -
1896 - Plessy v. Ferguson
Legalized "separate but equal" doctrine
Institutionalized racial discrimination
Devastating setback for civil rights -
1920 - 19th Amendment
Granted women's right to vote
Ended legal gender-based voting restrictions
Expanded democratic participation -
1948 - Native American Citizenship Act
Guaranteed full U.S. citizenship to Native Americans
Allowed unrestricted voting rights
Recognized tribal sovereignty -
1954 - Brown v. Board of Education
Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson
Declared school segregation unconstitutional
Landmark civil rights decision -
1964 - Civil Rights Act
Prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex
Ended segregation in public spaces
Established Equal Employment Opportunity Commission -
1965 - Voting Rights Act
Eliminated discriminatory voting practices
Provided federal oversight of election procedures
Significantly increased minority voter registration -
1975 - Expansion of Voting Rights Act
Protected language minorities' voting rights
Required bilingual election materials
Recognized linguistic barriers to voting -
1982 - Voting Rights Act Amendments
Enhanced protections for disabled voters
Improved polling place accessibility
Furthered democratic participation