Civil Rights Movement

13th Amendment (Constitutional Amendment)

Dec 6, 1865

This amendment ruled slavery and involuntary servitude unconstitutional. Afterward, servitude was only legal as punishment for a crime.

14th Amendment (Constitutional Amendment)

Jul 9, 1868

This amendment expanded the freedoms of formerly enslaved people. It ensured naturalization and protected natural rights and due process for all people.

15th Amendment (Constitutional Amendment)

Feb 3, 1870

This amendment prevented the Federal government from discriminating based on race when it comes to voting. However, state governments still found ways (via literacy tests and poll taxes) to prevent freed slaves from voting.

Plessy vs. Ferguson (Supreme Court Case)

May 18, 1896

This Supreme Court case involved a 1/8 Black man who was denied a seat on the white section of a train, despite being mostly white. It ruled that segregation was Constitutional as long as as everyone had equal accommodations.

Wilmington Coup (Violent Action)

Nov 10, 1898

The only successful coup d'etat in the United States history. A white mob overthrew the majority Black government in Wilmington, killing as many as 300 people.

Formation of the NAACP (Formation of an Organization)

Feb 12, 1909

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is an organization created for the purpose of advancing the rights of non-white Americans and eliminating racism. It is America's oldest and largest civil rights organization.

Desegregation of the US Military (Executive Orders by the President)

Jul 26, 1948

Executive order 9981, signed by President Harry Truman, mandated the desegregation of the military. This order also prevented discrimination in the federal government.

Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (Supreme Court Case)

May 17, 1954

This Supreme Court case ruled that separate schools for Black and white children were unconstitutional. It overturned the Plessy vs. Ferguson "separate but equal" decision, and was the first step toward the elimination of segregation.

Murder of Emmett Till (Violent Action)

Aug 28, 1955

Emmett Till, a 14 year old Black boy visiting his cousins in Mississippi, was tortured and killed by two white men after allegedly harassing a white woman. The allegations were later proven to be false, and Till's death sparked a national outrage.

Little Rock Nine (Protests)

Sep 4, 1957

A group of nine Black students who were the first to integrate into the all-white Little Rock Central High School. The students faced much violence and harassment, and the army was ordered to defend them by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Civil Rights Act of 1957 (Laws)

Sep 9, 1957

President Dwight D. Eisenhower passed legislation to protect voting rights for Black people. This act also created the Civil Rights Division in the Justice Department.

Greensboro Sit-In (Protests)

Feb 1, 1960

Four Black college students sat at a segregated lunch counter at Woolworth's and refused to move when denied service. Their peaceful protest sparked similar ones nationwide.

Freedom Rides (Protests)

May 4, 1961

A series of bus trips throughout the segregated South to protest against segregation. Black protesters attempted to use white-only establishments along the way, and faced widespread violence.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (Protests)

Dec 1, 1961

Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This sparked a year long boycott to protests against the segregated bus system, which was eventually abolished.

March on Washington for Jobs (March)

Aug 28, 1963

20,000 people marched on the National Mall in Washington D.C. to advocate for jobs and racial equality. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his most famous and influential speech, "I Have a Dream."

Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Laws)

Jul 2, 1964

This act outlawed discrimination in public places based on race, gender, religion, or origin. It also banned discriminatory practices in employment.

March from Selma to Montgomery (Protests)

Mar 25, 1965

Thousands of protesters gathered to participate in a nonviolent march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery. They were protesting the obstructions that Black people faced when registering to vote, and they were met with police brutality.

Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Laws)

Aug 6, 1965

This act protected the right to vote for non-white Americans. It outlawed literacy tests.

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Assassination (Violent Acts)

Apr 4, 1968

Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed while standing on the balcony of his room at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. His death sparked nationwide outbreaks of racial violence, causing over 40 deaths.

Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (Supreme Court Cases)

Apr 20, 1971

This case allowed the Federal government to mandate busing as a means to desegregate schools. It also permitted the use of racial quotes.