Black History in the US By Labihat 1492 The discovery of America Period: 1607 to 1863 Slavery 1776 The Declaration of Independence Period: 1861 to 1865 Civil War Civil War Period: 1877 to 1964 Jim Craw Laws Period: 1954 to 1968 Martin Luther King's activism Period: 2009 to 2017 Barack Obama's presidency