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Slavery Abolished
The 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States. -
1st Civil Rights Act Passes
The Civil Rights Act stated that all persons (besides untaxed Indians) born in the US are American Citizens. This means they have equal legal and property rights. -
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African American Civil Rights History
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Martin Luther King Jr. is Born
Martin Luther King Jr. is born to the Reverend Martin Luther King and Alberta Williams King. -
Jackie Robinson Joins the Brooklyn Dodgers
Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers becomes the first African American player in the major leagues. -
Segregation in Armed Forces is Banned
President Harry Truman signs Executive Order 9981, banning segregation in the armed forces and establishing equality of treatment and opportunity for people of all races, religions, or national origins. -
Rosa Parks Says No More
Rosa Parks, an African American, is arrested for disobeying an Alabama law requiring black passengers to relinquish seats to white passengers when the bus was full. Her arrest sparks a 381-day boycott of the Montgomery bus system and leads to a 1956 Supreme Court decision banning segregation on public transportation. -
Schools Integrated
The Supreme Court orders public schools to be integrated “with all deliberate speed.” -
"I Have a Dream"
200,000 people participate in a civil rights rally in Washington D.C. calling for passage of a Civil Rights Act. The event’s highlight is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered in front of the Lincoln Memorial. -
Civil Rights Act to Prohibit Discrimination in Public Facilities
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in employment, public facilities, the application of voting laws, and the use of federal funds, is approved despite an 83-day Senate filibuster. -
Nobel Peace Prize for Dr. King
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. receives the Nobel Peace Prize. -
Martin Luther King Jr. Assasinated
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 39, is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. He is in Memphis to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city. The evening before he had delivered his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech concluding with "Well, I don't know what will happen now; we've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop."
