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Slavery in America
Dutch settlers brought the first African slaves to the Jamestown Colony in Virginia in August 1619, leaving a system that would last almost 250 years. -
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Civil War
Contrary to popular belief, the Civil War was not started in order to abolish slavery; it was fought because of president Lincoln's controversial decision to keep slavery out of territories that had not yet become states. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Although the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery, it allowed blacks to fight in the Union army and shifted the war's focus to the abolition of slavery. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment officially ended slavery, though people still held onto their prejudice against African Americans. -
Tom Robinson's Trial - To Kill a Mockingbird
(Date is approximate)
Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman, is unjustly charged for a crime he didn't commit simply because he is black. -
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"White Flight"
(Ongoing, dates are approximate)
From the 1940s on, white people began migrating out of major cities such as St. Louis, while African Americans migrated in. -
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Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement was led by Martin Luther King, Jr. It was a time of nonviolent protests against racial inequality, and it was met with severe resistance from whites. -
Voting Rights Act
The Civil Rights Movement led to new legislation signed by president Johnson in 1965, which eliminated the use of literacy tests as a requirement for voting. With this form of segregation gone, African Americans had a much larger say in government. -
Shooting of Michael Brown
The death of unarmed black teen Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri led to protests and riots locally as well as nationally.
