Abolitionist and Civil Rights

  • Abolitionist Movement Begins

    The fight to end slavery in the U.S. gained momentum in the early 1800s. Abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison wrote and spoke against slavery, leading to widespread support for the cause.
  • Dred Scott v. Sandford

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not U.S. citizens and had no rights. This decision strengthened slavery and angered abolitionists.
  • Emancipation Proclamation

    President Abraham Lincoln issued this order to free enslaved people in the Confederate states. It didn’t immediately end slavery but gave the Civil War a moral purpose.
  • Brown v. Board of Education

    The Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. This decision helped launch the modern Civil Rights Movement.
  • Civil Rights Act of 1964

    This law banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It was a major victory for the Civil Rights Movement.