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The American Civil War
The American Civil War (part 1 and part 2) was the bloodiest war America has fought. It was fought for a number of reasons, however, the main reason was to settle whether America was to be a country that offers freedom to all, or one that continues to be the largest slaveholding country. This war ultimately brought the Northern and Southern states closer together. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln in September of 1862, during the third year of the raging Civil War. It declared that all slaves in the rebellious Southern states were free as of January 1, 1863. This important document served as a step forward to pass the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865. Not only did it free the slaves though, but it also declared that freed slaves could serve in the Union army and navy, which greatly helped the Union during the war. According to the History Channel, ema -
Civil Rights Act of 1875
Enacted during the Reconstruction era, this act states that African Americans must be given equal treatment in public places, such as on transportation or accomadations, and forbid the exclusion of blacks from jury duty. However, it was deemed to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court a few years later, in 1883. Later, the rights guaranteed in this act were put into the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1968. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
The Plessy v. Ferguson case is between Homer Plessy, whoThis Supreme Court case legitimized "seperate but equal" laws and it allowed for racial segregation to be the acceptable. -
The Founding of the NAACP
The NAACP, or the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People, was founded in 1909 in New York by seven white people and one black person, W.E.B. Du Bois. This organization was formed by the result of the lynchings of two black people in Springfield, Illinois. The NAACP's mission is to "ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination." -
Guinn v. United States
This Supreme Court case ruled against grandfather clauses. It overturned the provisions concerning grandfather clauses in the Oklahoma and Maryland constitutions, and deemed them to be unconstitutional. This case stated that these constitutions were in violation of the Fifteenth Amendment, which prohibits the exclusion of voters based upon race or color. -
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The Great Migration
During this period of time, millions of African-Americans moved from the more rural areas in the South to the urban north, Midwest, and West. This affected the urban life in America greatly, and the blacks had to deal with racism and prejudice during this period of time. Many major cities, such as Chicago or New York, saw huge growths in their black population. -
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Great Depression
The Great Depressions was a huge economic depression that occured in the 1930's and affected the whole world's markets. Many factors caused this severe economic downfall in America. In addition, it affected millions of American citizens and others. During this time, the unemployment rate shot up to extremely high levels and emotions ran high. -
Murray v. Pearson
In this Maryland Court of Appeals case, Thurgood Marshall (who would later become the first African American Supreme Court justice) and Charles Houston successfully argued for Maryland to integrate its student population at the University of Maryland School of Law. This landmark case was important in confirming the Equal Protection clause in the Fourteenth Amendment. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, passed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, prohibited the discrimination based on race, religion, gender, or national origin in workplaces and public accomadations. -
Bloody Sunday
[Bloody Sunday](the Selma to Montgomery marches, they were a series of marches that essentially changed the public's current opinion about the Civil Rights movement. During these events, state troopers brutally attack civil rights protesters marching from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama. It was the bloody scene televised on national and international media that pushed the government to take matters into their hands. ), also known as the Selma to Montgomery marches, they were a series of marches that essentially changed the public's current opinion about the Civil Rights movement. During these events, state troopers brutally attack civil rights protesters marching from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama. It was the bloody scene televised on national and international media that pushed the government to take matters into their hands. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This civil rights act was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement. It prohibits the discrimination of voters based upon racial or language minorities. In addition, it also banned literacy tests used in the South to bar minorities from voting so that everybody would have equality in voting.
<a href='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Remarks_on_the_Signing_of_the_Voting_Rights_Act_(August_6,_1965)_Lyndon_Baines_Johnson.ogg' >LBJ's comment's on the Voting
