-
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Indepence was an article written by our founding fathers in which they delcared their independence from Great Britain. In the document, it is written that "all men are created equal." -
Seneca Falls Convention
This was the first women's rights convention. This was the first step which sparked the major movement to give women the same rights as men. -
13th Amendment
This amendment abolished slavery in the United States as a whole. This was the first step in giving African-Americans equal rights. -
14th Amendment
States cannot make or enforce laws that take away the rights of any citizen, as well as they are not allowed to discriminate against any citizen. This allows all men to be equal under law. -
15th Amendment
This prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." This finally gave African-Americans the right to vote. -
Colorado is first state to grant women the right to vote
Colorado gave women the right to vote, which sparked the nationwide movement to allow women the right to vote and other states soon followed. This was the spark in finally giving women the right to vote. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
In this Supreme Court case, the court decided that segregation of public facilities was "seperate but equal." This was a negative event for the push in Civil Rights, as it segregated whites from African-Americans. -
Founding of NAACP
This is a group thats mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination." This group finally started making public the Civil Rights movement and how African-Americans were being mistreated. -
19th Amendment
This amendment makes it illegal for any state to deny someone their right to vote based on their sex. Women were finally given the right to vote. -
Executive Order 10450
This mandated the firing of all federal employees who were determined to be guilty of “sexual perversion.” This was a bad blow to equal rights for homosexuals, as now they were allowed to be fired becasue they were gay. -
Brown vs. Board of Eduction
In this Supreme Court decision, they ruled that segregation in schools across the country was unconstitutional and that schools everywhere had to desegregate. This is big because now African-Americans are not forced to go to school seperate from whites. -
One, Inc vs. Olesen
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered its first ever pro-gay ruling in ONE Inc. v. Olesen, a landmark decision that allowed a magazine for gays and lesbians to be sent through the U.S. mail. This was a major step forward in giving equal rights to gays. -
Illinois becomes first state to repeal its sodomy laws
Illinois became the first state to remove criminal penalties for consensual sodomy from its criminal code, almost a decade before any other state. This now allowed gay couples to interract sexually without the fear of being prosecuted, a major step forward toward thier fight for equality. -
24th Amendment
This amendment prohibited both the states and Congress from taxing people who voted in federal elections. This amendment further strengthened the success of the Civil Rights movement, as everyone is starting to be treated equally. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace and by facilities that served the general public. This was the first piece of legislation signed by the government to end segregation. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This piece of legislation enforced by the US government made discrimination illegal for voting. This is a big moment for the Civil Rights movement as African-Americans now have the right to vote. -
Stonewall Inn Riots
The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay community against a police raid that took placeat the Stonewall Inn, located in New York City. This was the first moment in which the LGBT movement finally took full force and became a large movement. -
Title IX
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. This now allowed women the same rights as men when it comes to competitive sports. -
APA removes homosexuality as a mental disorder
The can Psychiatric Association’s Board of Trustees “cured” millions of gays and lesbians across America when they voted to take of homosexuality as a mental disorder. This finally made homosexuals equal in terms of being "sane" and started the push for complete equal rights. -
Don't Ask Don't Tell
The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while barring openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from military service. This is a negative because it is still disallowing open homosexuals from being in the military, discriminating them. -
Defense of Marriage Act
This act allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states. This has also been the cause for states to adapt their own equivalent laws, which recently has sparked controversy. This act is a negative for gay equal rights, and needs to be removed if they want to be totally equal. -
Massachusetts legalizes gay marriage
Massachusetts became the first state in the United States to legalize the marriage of gay couples, and because of this, many other states would follow over the next decade. This is a huge step for the LGBT community as they are finally getting closer to total equality. -
Don't Ask Don't Tell is repealed
This act established a process for ending the Don't ask, don't tell policy, thus allowing gays, lesbians, and bisexuals to serve openly in the United States Armed Forces. This act was another major positive step forward for gays and their fight for equal rights.
