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The 14th Amendments grants citizenship to those born or naturalized in the U.S., including previously enslaved people. It guaranteed all citizens equal protection under the law. -
The 15th Amendment was ratified to let Black American men to vote. This made a lot of Americans, especially in the South mad that they had to "share" the rights with them. This did not make it easier for them, though. Black Americans were still being discriminated against. -
In Plessy v. Ferguson, the "separate but equal doctrine" was established. Jim Crow laws were adopted in the South to "separate" Black Americans from the rest. They had to use separate bathrooms; they could not go to school with others. You could not be in an interracial marriage. In the North, there was still a lot of discrimination because the Jim Crow laws were not adopted there. This law was in effect until 1965. -
President Franklin D. Roosevelt issues an Executive order 8802 that opened national defense and other government jobs to all Americans regardless of race, color, or national origin. However, even with their service while in the war, they suffered by being segregated and discriminated. Even when they returned home, they were still treated with disrespect. -
President Harry Truman starts the civil rights agenda. His order 9981 is introduced to end discrimination in the military. This order sets the stage for initiatives to incite the civil rights movement. -
42 year old Rosa Parks took a seat on a bus after work, and because of the laws she should have taken a seat in the back. Even though she was in the back, a white man wanted the seat after not being able to find one. Her and three other Black Americans were instructed to move, and she said no. She got arrested. This formed the Montgomery Improvement Association led by Martin Luther King Jr. -
The Montgomery Improvement Association staged a boycott of the Montgomery bus system after Rosa Park's arrest. it lasted 381 days total, which helped the Supreme Court rule that seating segregation was unconstitutional. -
Public school segregation is then considered illegal by the Supreme Court, and nine Black Students nicknamed the Little Rock Nine arrive at Central High School to start classes. The first day they could not go because they were being threatened. when they tried a couple of weeks later, they were able to go in but had to leave again for their safety after violence broke out. President Dwight Eisenhower ordered Federal troops to escort them so they could go to class but were still harassed. -
Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Tt was the first civil rights legislation since the Reconstruction era. It allowed the federal prosecution of anyone who tried to prevent someone from voting and also created a commission to investigate voter fraud. -
Seven Black and six white activists toured the American South to test the 1960's decision by the Supreme Court in Boynton v. Virginia that declared interstate transportation segregation unconstitutional. when they reached Anniston, Alabama they were bombed but were able to escape. On May 20, they were escorted to travel, but once they reached Montgomery, they were left by the police and arrested for trespassing a "whites-only" facility. They arrived on May 24, 1961. Convictions were reversed. -
Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders attend Washington D.C. with more than 200,00 people to peacefully march in forcing civil rights legislation and establish job equality for everyone. This is where Dr. King gave his "I have a dream" speech. -
After John F. Kennedy's assassination, President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law guaranteed equal employment for all, limited voter literacy tests and also allowed federal authorities ensure public facilities were integrated. Dr. King and other civil rights activists witnessed the signing. -
The first assassination was Malcolm X who was assassinated during a rally. Malcom X was the founder of Nation of Islam leader and Organization of Afro-American Unity. -
The peaceful march to protest the killing of Black American civil rights activist Jimmie Lee Jackson by a white police officer turned violent. 600 protesters were blocked by state and local police in Alabama and were beaten and teargassed by police after refusing to stand down. Bloody Sunday was on television and some activists wanted to retaliate with violence, but Dr. King pushed for peaceful protests and gained federal protection for another march. -
President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act into law, which banned all voter literacy tests and also opened the door to federal examiners in certain voting jurisdictions. This law allows attorney generals to contest stale and local poll taxes. -
Civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize holder Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on his hotel room balcony. This triggered looting and riots, and the Johnson administration pushed through more civil rights laws. -
The Fair Housing Act goes into effect to prevent housing discrimination based on race, sex, national original and religion. This also was the last legislation that was introduced during the civil rights era.