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Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence stated certain ideals that the colonists believed were important for the people to have, such as liberty and equality.It gave basic human rights for its people. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women’s rights convention in the United States. It became the blueprint for the women’s rights movement and for the suffrage movement. -
13th Amendment
It abolished slaverey. It also grants the federal government the authority to prevent any civil rights abuses associated with involuntary servitude. -
14th Amendment
In addition to offering equality for all people no matter what color of their skin, the 14th Amendment didn't allow any state to deny someone the right to receive a fair chance with issues of life, property and due process regardless of how they looked. -
15th Amendment
Any American can't be denied the right to vote based on race, color or past servitude. It gave African Americans the right to vote. -
Colorado becomes the first state to grant womenthe right to vote
Colorado gave women the right to vote 27 years before ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. It was a first step toward granting women the full rights to vote. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson is an extremely important court case in that it gave legal standing to the idea of separate but equal. It required that any separate facilities had to be equal in quality. -
NAACP is founded
The association led the black civil rights struggle in fighting injustices such as the denial of voting rights, racial violence, discrimination in employment, and segregated public facilities. -
19th Amendment
At the time the U.S. was founded, its female citizens did not share all of the same rights as men, including the right to vote. The 15th amendment granted women th right to vote. -
Executive Order 10450
It banned gay men and lesbians from working for any agency of the federal government. It required federal agencies to fire anyone engaged in "sexual perversion". Many gay and lesbian civil servants lost their career. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
The court ruled that separate but equal public schools for blacks and whites were unconstitutional. It inspired education reform everywhere and formed the legal means of challenging segregation in all areas of society. -
One Inc. v. Olesen
For the first time in American history, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of free speech for homosexuals. The victory for One magazine meant that the movement could mobilize and spread their message through any form of media, allowing the gay rights movement to expand to all parts of the country. -
Illonois becomes the first state to repeal its sodomy laws
Up until 1962, same-sex couple's relationship was viewed by the public as a crime against nature. The repealment of its sodomy laws marked a major legal victory on the path towards LGBT equality. -
24th Amendment
Not long ago, citizens in some states had to pay a fee to vote in a national election. The 24th amendment was important to the Civil Rights as it ended mandatory poll taxes that prevented many African Americans from voting. -
Civil Rights Act 1964
It outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and ended segregation of African Americans in public places. -
Voting Rights Act 1965
The Voting Rights Act has guaranteed millions of minority voters a chance to have their voices heard and their votes counted. It eliminated the use of poll taxes and literacy tests. -
Stonewall Riots
The Stonewall riots inspired LGBT people throughout the country to organize in support of gay rights, and within two years after the riots, gay rights groups had been started in nearly every major city in the United States. -
Title IX
Prohibited gender discrimiation in education including their athletic program. It required schools to provide girls with equal athletic opportunities. -
APA removes homosexuality as mental health disorder
The removal of homosexuality as a mental health disorder was a step towards better treatment of homosexuals. It changed the view of the public about them and it was a start in their acceptance in society. -
Don't Ask Don't Tell
The policy prohibited gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the military. For 17 years, the law prohibited qualified gay and lesbian Americans from serving in the armed forces and sent a message that discrimination was acceptable. -
Defense of Marriage Act
It created a definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman and gave states permission to refuse to recognize marriages entered into by same-sex couples in other jurisdictions. It denied federal benefits to gay couples who are legally married in their states. -
Massachussetts Legalizes gay marriage
The Massachusetts Supreme Court rules that a ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. It paved the way for other states to legalize gay marriage and it gave same-sex couples marriage equality. -
Don't Ask Don't Tell is repealed
Gays, lesbians and bisexuals were finally allowed to join or serve openly in the military. Gay and lesbian Americans now no longer need to hide who they love in order to serve the country they love.
