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Jim Crow Laws
(not exact date) These were laws created in the late 1800s to enforce segregation. This left African Americans angry and caused them to start a movement against racism. -
Segregation
(not exact date) Segregation came to light in the late 1800s. It is the isolation of a race or group which caused anger for minorities and caused them to fight back. -
Cotton Gin
(not exact day) The cotton gin was a machine invented in 1793 by Eli Whitney that pulled out the seeds from the cotton. When this machine was invented, farmers took land from Native Americans to grow more cotton. Cotton was a cash crop by 1860 so the dependency on slaves increased because slaves were free labor to harvest in the south. This invention was very important because the Capitol was invested in slaves instead of factories or transportation. -
13th Amendment
The Thirteenth Amendment as made to abolish slavery. With this amendment, slevery or involuntary servitude was no longer allowed. It was passed on January 31,1865 and ratified on December 6, 1865. This was an improtant amendment because it was the start of many movements to try and equalize all citizens. -
14th Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment was established to protect the rights of citizens of the United States. This amendment kept the states from interfering in the laws for the rights of citizens and stated that all citizens would be allowed "equal protection of the laws." This amendment was important because it helped reinforce the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and helped it remain valid. Was passed on June 13, 1866 and ratified later on June 9, 1868. -
15th Amendment
The Fifteenth Amendment was made so the right of United States ctizens could not be denied to vote. It was passed on February 26, 1869 and ratified on February 3,1870. The Fifteenth Amendment was very important because it still didn't grant every citizen suffrage. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
(not exact date) Homer Plessy challenged an unconstitutional law and was rejected by John H. Ferguson which created a new legal doctrine with "seperate but equal" facilities. This was important because the "seperate but equal" facilities were not actually equal and set the precedent of segregation being legal. (Jim Crow Laws) -
Great Migration
(not exact date) After Plessy v. Ferguson, segregation was thought of as acceptable. In the south, living conditions for African Americans were getting worse so they all started moving north for a better life with better oppurtunities. The Great Migration brought millions of African Americans to the north. -
NAACP
(not exact date) The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is one of the oldest civil rights organizations. It challenged laws that prevented African Americans from getting their full rights.It was behind the Brown v. Board of Education and mainly appealed to middle-upper class African Americans. This organization was very important because it opened the door for many more organizations to work against racism. -
Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington was born a slave in Virginia and became considered one of the most influential black educators. He did not strive for social equality but instead, he wanted African Americans to become educated and earn their place in society. He died on November 14, 1915. -
19th Amendment
The Ninteenth Amendment was the women's rights amendment. it was very important because it granted women full suffrage and right to vote. It was ratified on August 18, 1920. -
Sit Ins
(not exact date) Sit Ins were created by the Congress of Racial Equality wher members would sit done at a public, segregated place. If they were refused service at first, they stayed. Sit ins where important because They were proving that "seperate but equal" facilities were not really equal. -
World War Two
World War Two dramatically changed American society at home. While most white men were out fighting in the war, businesses didn't have enough workers so they had to hire women and minorities. This was the beginning of them proving that they were fully capable of doing jobs that white men could do. -
Brown v. Board of Education
(not exact date) The Supreme Court found out that seperated schools were getting unqual protection of the laws and violated the 14th Amendment. This started the process of desegregating and integrating schools for children. -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks started the civil rights movement when she refused to give up her bus seat to a passenger. She was arrested for violating the law but sparked the movement that ended legal segregation in the U.S. -
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
(not exact date) The Southern Christian Leadership Conference was a Civil Rights organization that was focused on the south. This organization was started by Martin Luther King, Jr. and other African American clergymen.The SCLC was very imporant because it supported non violent protest. -
Civil Disobedience
(not exact date) Civil disobedience was where people would refuse to obey laws that they felt were unfair or unjust and was prompted by Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960's. African Americans supported him by doing this and started a movement against racism. -
Student Non Violent Coordinating Committee
(not exact date) The Student Non Violent Coordinating Committe was a way to give young African Americans a bigger role in the civil rights mvement. This was important because it gave young people a chance to speak up and protest without violence. -
Freedom Riders
The Freedom Riders was when CORE and SNCC tested to see if the southern states would obey the Supreme Court and allow African Americans new rights. it was important because they were enforcing the laws that helped African Americans. -
Affirmative Action
(not exact date) Affirmative Action was an outcome of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. President Kennedy was the first to use the term. It improved oppurtunities in education and employment for African Americans. Affirmative Action was very important because the policies were used to compensate for centuries of racial, social, and economic oppression. -
W. E. B. Du Bois
Du Bois was a racial activist and one of the founders of the NAACP. W. E. B. Du Bois was an important part of the civil rights movement because he was a part of many different organizations that made a big difference. He died on August 27, 1963. -
Feminism
(not exact date) Feminism is the principle that men and women should have equal rights socially, politically, and economically. This was very important because it is part of the equality that we are still working on today. -
24th Amendment
(not exact date) The Twenty-forth Amendment eliminated the poll tax as a voting requirement. This amendment was important because allowed the people who could not afford the tax to vote. -
Civil Right Act of 1964
(not exact date) The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned discrimination in public, tried to desegregate schools, protected voting rights, and owtlawed discrimination of race, sex, or religion in employment. -
The Great Society
(not exact dates) The Great Society was Lyndon B. Johnson's vision of the perfect and equal society that the U.S. should be. It was important because it protected civil rights and the expansion of social programs. -
Malcolm X
(not exact date) Malcolm X preached and believed in an all seperate black nation until he had a change of heart and worked with all kinds of civil rights leaders. He was important because he helped the Civil Rights Movement progrss. Assasinated in February of 1965. -
Voting Rights Act
(not exact date) The voting rights act is very important because it took away literacy tests as a voting reqirement and made federal oficials supervise voter registration. This gave African Americans with a poor eduaction a chance to vote and helped keep state officials from stopping them from registering. -
Black Power
(not exact date) Black Power was a "call for black people to define their own goals... [and] to lead their own organizations" This caused tensions that had been building between civil rights groups to erupt. -
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a young Baptist preacher and a leader of the Civil Rights Movement. He was very important because he was a symbol of non violent protest. He was assasinated on April 4,1968. -
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was the chief of the NAACP. He later became an Assiciate Sumpreme Court Justice and won 14 out of 19 cases; more than any other American. Thurgood Marshal was very important because he supported the voiceless American. He died on January 24, 1993.