-
Slaves Brought to Jamestown
The first slaves were brought to Jamestown, Virginia in 1619 by the Dutch to help in the production of crops like tobacco. Slavery was relevant in the colonies throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It helped build up the new nation’s economy.
(history.com) -
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of safe houses that helped fugitive slaves escape slavery. This lasted from 1786 until the civil war began in 1861. Some important contributors to the Underground Railroad were Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglass.
(history.com) -
Missouri Compromise of 1820
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 established a policy that said states would be admitted as pairs, one free state, one slave state. The compromise prohibited slavery above the 36 parallel. It also created a national Fugitive Slave Law which required people to return escaped slaves back to their owners. This Compromise was eventually declared unconstitutional in the 1857 Dred Scott decision.
(historynet.com) -
Abolitionist Movements 1830
The Abolitionist Movements of 1830 were aimed at getting all slaves emancipated and ending racial discrimination. In 1833 over sixty delegates met in Philadelphia to form the Anti-Slavery Society. The first Anti-Slavery Convention was held in New York City in 1837. Some influential people in these movements were William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
(history.com) -
American Civil War
The American Civil War began on April 12, 1861 and it was caused by a difference of opinion over slavery. The northern states (Union) wanted to prohibit slavery in the colonies. Southern states (Confederates) favored slavery and wanted to form their own nation. The Union was able to win the war and the process of making a slavery free nation began. The war ended on May 9, 1865.
(civilwar.org) -
Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation
On September 22, President Abraham Lincoln published a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation that declared that on January 1, 1863 all slaves in “rebellious” states will be freed. This proclamation did not free any slaves, but it was a major turning point in the war and turned the war into a fight for human freedom.
(history.com) -
Congress Passes 13th Amendment
The thirteenth amendment that was added to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and servitude, except for punishment for a crime. It was passed by the senate on April 8, 1864 with a thirty-eight to six vote. The house finally passed the amendment on January 31, 1865.
(en.wikipedia.org) -
13th Amendment is Ratified
Eight months after the Civil War ended, the thirteenth amendment was ratified by 3/4 of the states on December 6, 1865. By the end of the first month eighteen states had ratified it. An additional five states ratified between 1865 and 1870. Delaware, Kentucky and Mississippi were the last states to ratify the amendment after they rejected it when it was first passed. Lincoln believed that this amendment was necessary to ensure the end of slavery.
(en.wikipedia.org) -
Jim Crow Laws
The Jim Crow Laws were laws created in the south to segregate “people of color” from whites. Public places like parks, schools, restaurants, cemeteries and theatres were all segregated. These laws led to the Plessy vs. Ferguson case in which the supreme court made the “separate but equal” decision.
(britannica.com) -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner was a slave that led a rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia. Him and a group of followers killed more than sixty white men, women and children on August 21. Turner and 16 others were captured and executed. This led to random killings of slaves and planters had a tighter grip on their slaves.
(historymatters.gmu/edu) -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation of public places. It also banned employment discrimination of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This was first proposed by President John F. Kennedy and later signed by Lyndon B. Johnson. Congress passed additional acts like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that were aimed at equality for African Americans.
(history.com)
