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13th Amendment
"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Basically, the Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the U.S. -
14th Amendment
This Amendment granted all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. citizens of the country and guarantees equal protection of the laws. This includes former slaves. It also forbid any state from denying any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” -
15th Amendment
This Amendment prohibits the denial of voting rights to people because of race, color, or because they have previously been slaves. Due to poll taxes and literacy tests, among other things, african americans weren't able to vote until a century after the 15th Amendment's ratification. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that separation of the races in public accommodations was legal, thus establishing the "separate but equal" doctorine. This decision mermitted legalized racial segregation for almost 60 years. -
19th Amendment
This Amendment gave women the right to vote. The text was drafted by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Both of these women were leaders of the Women's suffrage movement. -
Executive Order of 1948
Issued by President Truman, Executive Order 9981 equality of treatment and opportunity in the Armed Forces for people of all races, religions, or natural origins. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that "separate but equal" education for black and white students was unconstitutional. This ruling paved the way for integration and the Civil Rights Movement. This also overturned the Plessy vs. Fergason decision years earlier. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
All African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, boycotted the bus transit system in hopes to remove segregation and promote civil rights. This campaign was sparked by Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat. The Boycott caused severe economic damage to the Montgomery transit system because African Americans made up a large portion of the system's paying customers. -
Rosa Parks Resfuses to Give Up Her Seat
On a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat for a white passenger. Her civil disobedience led to the Montgomery Bus Boycot and became the symbol for the civil rights movement. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
This was the first Civil Rights bill enacted by Congress since the Reconstruction period of U.S. History. The goal of this act was to ensure that all American citizens had the ability to vote, since most African Americans in the south were kept from voting due to Poll Taxes and Literacy Tests and so on. -
24th Amendment
This Amendment prohibits Congress or the State to filter their voters by using poll taxes or literacy tests, or things of similar nature. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This Amendment outlawed major forms of discrimination for African Americans and women. This Act ended unequal voting rights and removed segregation in school systems and workplaces and other public service places. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This piece of legislation enacted by President Johnson outlawed literacy tests. It also issued a nationwide prohibition of the denial of voting rights due to color or race. -
Civil Rights Act of 1968
This act provided for equal housing opportunities regardless of race, or national origin. This was more commonly known as the Fair Housing Act
