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The Underground Railroad (1780-1862)
Slaves were held in the Southern states, and because of this, a secret network of people were formed to help them escape to to the Northern states and Canada.
This network is known as The Underground Railroad. (not an actual railroad, nor underground).
The people provided homes and hideouts for the slaves and organised their escapes. -
Slave Conditions
During the 17th century, the first slaves from Africa were imported by the British, who then colonized America, as a part of the Triangle Trade. The slaves who survived the journey were bought by plantation owners and worked in their fields in very poor conditions. Floggings were common. The slaves’ children also became slaves, and so it continued until the 19th century. -
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Slavery (1619-1865)
During the 17th century, the first slaves from Africa were imported by the British, who then colonized America, as a part of the Triangle Trade.
The slaves who survived the journey were bought by plantation owners and worked in their fields in very poor conditions. Floggings were common.
The slaves’ children also became slaves, and so it continued until the 19th century. -
Harriet Tubman Escapes Slavery
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The Underground Railroad Route
Slaves were held in the Southern states, and because of this, a secret network of people were formed to help them escape to to the Northern states and Canada.
This network is known as The Underground Railroad. (not an actual railroad, nor underground).
The people provided homes and hideouts for the slaves and organised their escapes. -
The Civil War Starts
The Confederate states, where slavery was legal, decided to leave the United States of America to try to form their own country.
The Northern states, and the five “slave-states“ known as border states, stayed loyal to the Union.
The war had many casualties on both sides, but particularly in the South. It was later won by the Union.
Consequently, the slavery was eventually abolished. -
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Civil War (1861-1865)
The Confederate states, where slavery was legal, decided to leave the United States of America to try to form their own country.
The Northern states, and the five “slave-states“ known as border states, stayed loyal to the Union.
The war had many casualties on both sides, but particularly in the South. It was later won by the Union.
Consequently, the slavery was eventually abolished. -
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Reconstruction Era (1863-1877)
The years after the war were called "the Reconstruction".
The Union Army stayed in some Southern states, to maintain order.
Three important amendments to support the rights of the former slaves, were added to the United States Constitution. -
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Ku Klux Klan (1st klan) (1865-1875)
Ku Klux Klan was founded in 1865 and had its first big era during the following 10 years.
The KKK is a movement advocates white supremacy, white nationalism and anti-immigration.
They organised rallies to express their hate. They burned crosses and during their riots many black people were lynched and killed.
The KKK is known for their white gowns and hoods used to stay anonymous and scare their enemies. -
The Civil War Ends
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13th Amendment Adopted
Abolishes slavery. -
14th Amendment Adopted
Gives citizenship rights and equal legal rights to everyone. -
KKK
Ku Klux Klan was founded in 1865 and had its first big era during the following 10 years.
The KKK is a movement advocates white supremacy, white nationalism and anti-immigration.
They organised rallies to express their hate. They burned crosses and during their riots many black people were lynched and killed.
The KKK is known for their white gowns and hoods used to stay anonymous and scare their enemies. -
15th Amendment Adopted
Prohibits states to deny people to vote. The years after the war were called "the Reconstruction".
The Union Army stayed in some Southern states, to maintain order.
Three important amendments to support the rights of the former slaves, were added to the United States Constitution. -
Jim Crow
The Jim Crow-laws were named after a white man in “blackface”,
The laws were adopted by the Southern states, mandating segregation of public schools, places, and transportation, as well as of restrooms, restaurants, and drinking fountains for whites and blacks.
Conditions for African Americans were consistently poor. -
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Jim Crow laws (1877-1965)
The Jim Crow-laws were named after a white man in “blackface”,
The laws were adopted by the Southern states, mandating segregation of public schools, places, and transportation, as well as of restrooms, restaurants, and drinking fountains for whites and blacks.
Conditions for African Americans were consistently poor. -
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Lynching (ca 1882-ca 1935)
Lynching came to be a form of the public execution performed by a mob, often by hanging.
This was to “punish” or intimidate a the black people although some white people were lynched too. -
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Separate but equal (1896-1954)
This was a legal form of segregation claiming that the black were treated equally to the white, which of course wasn’t the case. -
NAACP founded (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
NAACP is an organisation whose goal is “to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination". -
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Ku Klux Klan (2nd klan) (1915-1944)
The 2nd klan was active around World War I. -
Lynching in the South
Lynching came to be a form of the public execution performed by a mob, often by hanging.
This was to “punish” or intimidate a the black people although some white people were lynched too. -
KKK
The 2nd klan was active around World War I. -
Separated but Equal
This was a legal form of segregation claiming that the black were treated equally to the white, which of course wasn’t the case. -
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Ku Klux Klan (3rd Klan) (1946-present)
The 3rd klan has been active since after World War II to present day. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
A black third-grade girl had to walk more than a mile, across the railroad, to get to her school, even though there was a school for white children less than seven blocks away.
Her father tried to get her into the white school, but the principal of the school refused.
Twelve more black parents joined Oliver Brown, Linda’s father, in trying to get their children into the white elementary school.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Brown. -
Rosa Parks
On December 1st, 1955, Rosa Parks boarded the bus as usual. This time though, she refused to move when approached by a white man. This came to be the starting point of massive protesting against the segregation of black people. -
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Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956)
Following Rosa Parks, many of the black community joined the campaign of bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. December 20th the Supreme Court ruled the segregating laws to be unconstitutional. -
Montgomery Bus Boycot
Following Rosa Parks, many of the black community joined the campaign of bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. December 20th the Supreme Court ruled the segregating laws to be unconstitutional. -
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Black Power (1960s-1970s)
Black Power is emphasizing racial pride and the creation of black political and cultural institutions to nurture and promote black collective interests and values. -
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Student Sit-Ins (1960s)
Nation wide, students participated in so called sit-ins, nonviolent protests taking place in segregated restaurants. Despite threats and intimidation, the students sat quietly and waited to be served though the staff usually refused. -
Student Sit-Ins
Nation wide, students participated in so called sit-ins, nonviolent protests taking place in segregated restaurants. Despite threats and intimidation, the students sat quietly and waited to be served though the staff usually refused. -
Martin Luther King gives the speech "I have a dream"
Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister, activist and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement.
He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience.
On August 28th, 1963 after “the March on Washington”, he delivered his famous speech “I have a dream”.
Martin Luther King Jr. was shot to death on April 4th, 1968. -
Assasination of Malcom X
Malcolm X was an American Muslim minister and a human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of blacks.
He promoted black supremacy, advocated the separation of black and white Americans, and rejected the civil rights movement for their emphasis on integration.
Malcolm X became a member of the Nation of Islam (NOI), and became one of the organization's most influential leaders.
Malcolm X was assassinated by three Nation of Islam members in February 1965. -
Selma to Montgomery Marches
The three Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965 were part of the Voting Rights Movement.
In the three protest activists marched the 54-mile (87 km) highway from Selma to Montgomery, the Alabama state capitol. Their intention was to show the African-Americans’ desire to vote.
By highlighting racial injustice in the South, they contributed to passage the Voting Rights Act.
This act take a stand against any means to make it impossible to vote, such as literacy tests or monolingual ballots etc. -
Black Panther Party Founded
BPP was a revolutionary black nationalist and socialist organization.
They founded programs to support the rights of the black, including monitoring the behaviour of police officers and the “Free Breakfast for Children Programme”. -
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Black Panter Party Active (1966-1982)
BPP was a revolutionary black nationalist and socialist organization.
They founded programs to support the rights of the black, including monitoring the behaviour of police officers and the “Free Breakfast for Children Programme”. -
Black Power
Black Power is emphasizing racial pride and the creation of black political and cultural institutions to nurture and promote black collective interests and values. -
KKK
The 3rd klan has been active since World War II to present day. -
Ferguson Riots
On August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri, a black boy, Michael Brown, was believed to be armed and was shot by Darren Wilson, a white police officer.
This caused a series of protests and civil disorder. Along with peaceful protests, there was looting and violence following.
Police established curfews and ordered in riot squads to maintain order. Cases of police violence unraveled. -
Confederation Flag Protests
The confederation flag, seen by some as an icon of slavery and racism while others say it symbolises US heritage and history, caused problems when being protested in South Carolina.
Members of the New Black Panther Party and the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) attended two separate rallies for and against the Confederate flag.
These protests started after a man, who killed 9 black people in a church, posed with the flag.
The flag is now up for a vote to be banned in Congress.
