Civil Rights Timeline

20 African americans sold to the settlers in Virginia as indentured servants

Jan 1, 1619

http://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/african-americans-at-jamestown.htmThis is important because this is the first time servants have been brought into the colonies. This is will eventually grow into the slave trade.

William Tucker, the first African American child was born.

Jan 3, 1624

http://www.civilrights.org/resources/civilrights101/chronology.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
The birth of the first African American child symbolized the start of African American roots in the United States.

The New York Slave Revolt begins.

Apr 6, 1712

http://maap.columbia.edu/place/34
Approximately 55 black's set fire to an outhouse in NYC, then proceeded to fire gun shots at their owners. It showed the cruelty shown to black’s; the government gave them the worst torture possible.

Thomas Paine writes essay about slavery

Mar 8, 1775

http://www.ushistory.org/paine/crisis/singlehtml.htm
Thomas Paine wasn’t the first abolitionist to protest against slavery, but he was one of the most influential abolitionists. This helped fuel the starting protests of slavery.

⅗ Compromise is established.

Jul 12, 1787

http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/three-fifths-compromise
To help the slaves get representation they allowed them to count as ⅗ of a person. People were still upset because they weren’t considered a whole person and this led to other conflicts.

The first antislavery organization is formed.

Jan 1, 1794

http://www.ushistory.org/more/timeline.htm
The United States banned importing slaves; the slaves were still being mistreated cruelly. However, underground trade began and over 200,000 slaves brought into the US.

Nat Turner Leads a Rebellion

Aug 21, 1831

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3p1518.html'
Turner and a bunch of other slaves started to kill people. States executed around 55 people and banished many more. After this event many white people mobs attacked black people even though they didn’t do anything.

First Women’s Rights Convention meeting in Seneca Falls, NY.

Jul 19, 1848

http://www.nps.gov/wori/learn/historyculture/the-first-womens-rights-convention.htm
This signified the beginning of the fight for women’s rights. Around 300-400 men & women attended this conference. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized this convention and later, signed the Declaration of Sentiments.

Dred Scott v. Sanford case

Mar 6, 1857

http://faculty.washington.edu/qtaylor/a_us_history/1800_1900_timeline.htm
Dred Scott was a slave who wanted freedom from his owners. After Scott appealed in court, the Supreme Court came to a decision that any African American in the United States could never become a citizen and didn’t have any rights in court.

The Civil War Begins

Apr 12, 1861

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/fort-sumter-the-civil-war-begins-1018791/?no-ist
This was the beginning of a very bloody war that would supposedly settle the question of African American rights. In actuality it took a bit longer for African Americans to get some of the respect they deserved. Even today some people don’t get the respect they deserve.

President Abraham Lincoln signs Emancipation Proclamation

Jan 1, 1863

https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/
This was a presidential proclamation given by Lincoln to change slaves’ statuses in the South to free.

Ratification of 13th amendment and assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Dec 6, 1865

http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=40
On April 15, 1865 Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. In this year the 13th amendment was also ratified. The 13th amendment helped abolish slavery and is one of the first reconstruction amendments after the war.

Anti-Chinese sentiment and Chinese workers strike

Jun 25, 1867

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/tcrr-cprr/
Chinese people are hired to build a new railroad that travels from West to East. It proves to be a hazard, as many of the Chinese die from falling rocks, starvings, and whippings. They hold a strike for better wages and working conditions, to no avail. After the creation of the railroad, Chinese were being beaten in California.

Ratification of Fourteenth Amendment

Jul 28, 1868

http://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendments/amendment-xiv
The Fourteenth Amendment made African Americans legal citizens of the United States. The law banned states from giving unequal rights to blacks. However, many freed slaves were killed by whites.

The Comstock Laws are passed by Congress

Mar 3, 1870

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill/peopleevents/e_comstock.html
This Act penalized people who used birth control and contraceptives; contraceptives were illegal in most states.

The Fifteenth Amendment goes into effect.

Mar 30, 1870

http://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendments/amendment-xv
This amendment granted African Americans the right to vote.

“Jim Crow” laws enacted in Tennessee

Jan 1, 1875

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/issues/jim-crow-laws
These were illegal laws to segregate and insult African Americans

Chinese Exclusion Act is passed

May 16, 1882

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/chinese-immigration
It was signed by President Chester A. Arthur on May 6. It was the first ever law enacted to ban immigration from other countries into the United States. Many Chinese Americans faced harsh discrimination and unequal rights during this period.

Scott Act is enacted

Sep 13, 1888

http://immigrationtous.net/266-scott-act-united-states-1888.html
This law prevented Chinese laborers from returning to the United States. This law was signed by President Grover Cleveland.

Colorado Grants Women Right To Vote

Jan 1, 1893

https://theautry.org/explore/exhibits/suffrage/suffrage_co.html
This begins a long journey for women's suffrage

Plessy v. Ferguson

May 18, 1896

https://normatalksaboutwriting.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/drinking-fountains.jpg
Implementation of the separate but equal laws for African Americans in order to meet the separate but equal part of the constitution.

W.E. Du Bois published his novel, The Souls of Black Folk.

Nov 17, 1903

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_souls.html
This book proved to be a turning point in African American history. It talks about the rights that African Americans deserve and the racism they face everyday.

The Niagara Movement was formed.

Jul 11, 1905

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_niagara.html
The Niagara Movement was formed by W.E. Du Bois and William Monroe Trotter. They severely opposed racial segregation and heavily disagreed on Booker T. Washington’s ideals.

The NAACP was created

Feb 12, 1909

http://www.naacp.org/pages/naacp-history
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was created in 1910 to help Colored people achieve the same rights as white people. They also want to reduce the discrimination colored people face.

The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary was formed.

Nov 7, 1909

http://nbccongress.org/spotlight/history-knights-of-peter-claver.asp
This was the African-American Catholic organization. It was founded in Mobile, Alabama. Their goal was to help and serve Catholic African-Americans

The Great Migration

Jan 1, 1915

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_migration.html
Over 6 million blacks migrated from the South to the North. African Americans began to move out rural South states, due to violent racism and lynching.

Arrest of Margaret Sanger for opening the first birth control clinic

Oct 26, 1916

http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/sanger.html
This was the first violation of the Comstock Laws. Many women in New York City lined up outside of the clinic to receive information about birth control. The clinic was shut down, along with Sanger being arrested. This started the Birth Control Movement in America.

Jones-Shafroth Act

Mar 2, 1917

https://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/jonesact.html
The Jones-Shafroth Act gave U.S. citizenship to all Puerto Ricans. Even though they had citizenships they had limited rights. For example they couldn’t vote. This act also helped set up the government in Puerto Rico. The U.S. also had the power to control other aspects of the country like immigration and economic matters.

Jeannette Rankin became the first women to hold a high ranking position in the government.

Mar 4, 1917

http://history.house.gov/People/Listing/R/RANKIN,-Jeannette-(R000055)/
Jeannette Rankin was elected as a house of representative from Montana. She was the first women who held a high ranking position in the government. This was a big event because it showed that a woman was able to reach a high position in the government. This would later motivate other women to try reaching high goals in life.

American Civil Liberties Union Founded

Jan 19, 1920

https://www.aclu.org
This organization helps individuals fight for their rights. It mainly focused on freedom of speech when it was founded.

The Nineteenth Amendment is ratified.

Aug 18, 1920

http://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendments/amendment-xix
The 19th Amendment was a big turning point in history. Women were not allowed to vote, and the Amendment granted people the right to vote, not discriminating on gender.

League of Latin American citizens is formed.

Feb 17, 1929

http://lulac.org/about/history/
The LULAC was formed to abolish racism against Latinos.

Marian Anderson Performs

Apr 9, 1939

http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/aboutfdr/anderson.html
Marian Anderson performed in front of 75,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial due to the fact The Daughters of the American Revolution refused to let her sing for an integrated audience at Constitution Hall.

Executive Order 8802

Jun 24, 1941

http://www.pbs.org/fmc/timeline/eexec8802.htm
Franklin D. Roosevelt issues the order to ban racial discrimination during war and for federal work.

Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)

Jun 20, 1942

http://www.blackpast.org/aah/congress-racial-equality-1942
This organization was found to promote non violent action against racial inequalities.

Executive Order 9981

Jul 26, 1948

http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/connect/talk-back/executive-order-9981/
Harry S. Truman issues the order to stop segregation in the U.S. Armed Forces

Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas

May 7, 1954

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/landmark_brown.html
The Supreme Court overruled Plessy vs. Ferguson saying that “separate but equal” should not be practiced.

Montgomery Bus Boycotts

Jan 1, 1955

http://www.ushistory.org/us/54b.asp
Following the Rosa Parks incident, the entire city of Montgomery decides to boycott the bus system.

Emmett Till is Murdered

Aug 28, 1955

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/till/timeline/timeline2.html
14 year old Emmitt was killed in mississippi and his murders were later acquitted.

Little Rock Nine were enrolled in Little Rock Central High School, previously an all white school.

Sep 4, 1957

http://www.arkansas.com/attractions/central-high/
9 African American students were enrolled in the Little Rock Central High School and faced harsh criticism. Previously, the governor of Arkansas banned these students from attending the high school, but President Eisenhower intervened and enlisted the army to escort these 9 students. This started the beginning of desegregation in schools.

United Farm Workers Union

Jan 1, 1962

http://www.laits.utexas.edu/jaime/cwp2/ccg/historyofufw.html
Cesar Chavez starts this orgnization to fight for Mexican Amercian Rights

Bailey v. Patterson

Feb 26, 1962

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/369/31/
Supreme Court cases declaring that segregation in public transportation is not constitutional.

Equal Pay Act

Jun 10, 1963

http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/epa.cfm
Congress passes bill to ensure that workers of both sexes are getting paid equally for the same amount of work.

March on Washington

Aug 28, 1963

http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=96
Over 100,000 Americans were a part of this important movement. This large movement was created in order to address many issues that plagued African Americans.

Congress passed the Civil Rights Act

Jul 2, 1964

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction/activism/ps_1875.html
Allowed African Americans equal rights in public transportation, restaurants, and other public settings. The Civil Rights act of 1875 was declared unconstitutional in 1883 because it was not authorized by the 13th and 14th amendment.

Watts Riots in Los Angeles

Aug 11, 1965

http://crdl.usg.edu/events/watts_riots/?Welcome
These riots started after the arrest of three African-Americans and sparked the later riots of the 1960s.

National Organization for Women is established

Jun 30, 1966

http://now.org/
This organization was based on the ideals of equality for both genders, mainly women.

The Raid on Stonewall Inn

Jun 27, 1969

http://www.civilrights.org/archives/2009/06/449-stonewall.html
The Stonewall Inn was an place that catered to homosexuals. On June 27, a police raided this place and riots soon broke out right after it. This event is known for starting the gay rights movement.

Roe v. Wade

Jan 22, 1973

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/landmark_roe.html
Supreme Court ends states’ abortion laws greatly expanding the legality of it.

Maynard Jackson, First African American Mayor

Jan 1, 1974

http://www.blackpast.org/aah/jackson-jr-maynard-1938-2003
Maynard Jackson is elected mayor.

The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law on July 26, 1990

Jul 26, 1990

http://www.ada.gov/ada_intro.htm
After this law was signed it banned discrimination of disabled people. This allowed many disabled people to get jobs. They also had the chance to freely shop at any place they wanted too without denial of service.