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1434
Establishment of Portuguese trading posts on coast of West Africa.
Upon reaching the coast of Africa, specifically Guinea, Portuguese captains began trading for various good such as ivory, gold, and pepper. However they were also interested in trading for slaves. -
Period: 1434 to
Twenty of the Most Important Events In African American History
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First reports of African slaves arriving in British North America (Jamestown).
Reportedly thirty-two Africans living in Jamestown with twenty more arriving the same year. -
Vermont bans slavery
Vermont becomes the first state in The Union to officially ban slavery. Additionally, Emancipation began in the North this year as well. -
Abolishment of Atlantic Slave Trade by U.S.
The United States officially abolishes the Atlantic Slave Trade. -
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad consisted of several loosely organized, semi-secret biracial networks that helped slaves escape from the border South to the North and Canada. -
Dred Scott Supreme Court Case
Dred Scott, a slave, sues for his freedom in the Supreme Court and loses the case. -
Harpers Ferry
John Brown led a raid on Harpers Ferry Arsenal. The raid failed to lead to a major slave insurrection, but it inflamed major controversy over slavery in the North and South. -
Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing salves in Confederate states. -
The 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment is added to the U.S. Constitution, officially abolishing slavery. -
Election of Black political leaders in the South/
Black political leaders are elected to local and state offices within Southern states. -
The 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment is added to the U.S. Constitution, granting African American men the right to vote. -
NAACP Founding
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is established. -
Desegregation of the U.S. Military
President Harry Truman signs Executive Order 9981, officially desegregating the military. -
Desegregation of public schools
The Supreme Court rules in Brown v. Board of Education that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional. -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a Montgomery Alabama bus, igniting the Montgomery Bus Boycott. -
Lynching of Emmett Till
The lynching of Emmett Till and subsequent acquittal of his murderers reflected the low regard in which black life was held in the Jim Crow South and the extent to which whites were determined to maintain the racial status quo. -
Voting RIghts Act
The Voting Rights Act is signed into law, eliminating discriminatory voting practices. -
MLK Speech
Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington D.C. -
Civil RIghts Act
The Civil RIghts Act is signed into law, prohibiting discrimination based on race, skin color, religion, sex, or national origin. -
Loving v. Virginia
Loving, v. Virginia was a Supreme Court Case that struck down state laws banning interracial marriage within the United States.