-
Dred Scott
Dred Scott unsuccessfully sues for him and his wife and children's freedom. The court rules against him due to the inability of African descendants claiming citizenship in the United States. -
Period: to
American Civil War
After the Southern Slave States declared their separation and formed the Confederate states of America, the Civil war was fought from 1861 to 1865. After four years of civil war, over 600,000 soldiers died, the Confederacy collapsed and slavery was abolished. -
The Abolishment of Slavery
American Congress passes the 13th amendment, abolishing slavery through the country. "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been dully convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." -
Abraham Lincoln Dies
In Washington, D.C., Abraham Lincoln, a civil rights activist, is the first American president to be assassinated. Lincoln's assassination was carried out by John Wilkes Booth as part of a larger conspiracy to revive the Confederate case.. -
Period: to
The Holocaust
During World War II, the genocide of approximately six million Jews took place. Led by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, the systematic killings were condcted in virtually all areas of German-occupied terriorty. The start date of the Holocaust is identified as January 30th, 1933, when Hitler was appointed Chancellor; the end date is May 8th, 1945. -
Canadian Women get the Vote
In Canada, women first won the provincial vote in Mantioba, Alberta and Saskatchewan in 1916. Women didn't have the nation-wide vote until 1940, when Quebec was included. -
Emmett Till Dies
African-American boy, Emmett Till, is brutally murdered in Mississippi at the age of 14 after reportedly flirting with a white woman. His open casket funeral helps mobilize the civil rights movement. -
Rosa Parks Refuses
African-American civil rights activist, Rosa Parks, refuses to give up her seat in the coloured section to a white person. Parks is arrested for this action the same day, and becomes an important symbol of the Modern Civil Rights Movement. -
Period: to
Montgomery Bus Boycott
A political/social protest against the racial segregation of the public transit system in Montgomery, Alabama. The Boycott lasted from Rosa Parks' arrest on December 1st, 1955 to December 20th, 1956. Other important civil rights figures also took part in the boycott, including Martin Luther King Jr. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action is the policy of providing special oportunities for members of a disadvantaged group suffering from discrimination. It was first introduced by John F. Kennedy in 1961. -
Medgar Evers
Evers, an African-American civil rights activist was heavily involved in efforts to overturn segregation at the University of Mississippi until his assassination in 1963. Several hours after President John F. Kennedy's speech supporting civil rights on national television, Evers is shot. Initially, he is also declined entry into the hospital he was rushed to because of his colour. -
March On Washington
One of the largest political rallies for human rights in US history is held. The event calls for civil and economic rights for African-Americans, and is where Martin Luther King Jr. makes his famous "I have a dream," speech. -
Segregation Ends in the US
In 1964, the Civil Rights Act is established, outlawing discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin. Despite this act, racial segregation and discrimination continues on. -
Malcolm X Dies
While Malcoln X was preparing to address the Organization of Afro-American Unity in Manhattan, three men rushed toward the stage and shot the activist numerous times. Malcolm X, who valued black supremacy over racial integration, has been identified as one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history. -
Homosexuality and Canadian Law
Pierre Trudeau proposes ammendments to the Canadian Criminal Code that would relax the laws against homosexuality in 1967. In 1969 these amendments pass, and homosexuality is decriminalized in Canada. -
Martin Luther King Jr. Dies
While staying at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, the civil rights icon is shot on the second floor balcony of the motel by James Earl Ray. The activist was only 39 years old. -
Same-Sex Marriage in Denmark
In 1989, Denmark becomes the first country in the world to legally recognize unions of the same sex or same gender identification. -
Assault of Rodney King
Following a high-speed car chase, Rodney King is surrounded by several Los Angeles Police officers and brutally beaten. The ordeal is caught on tape, and spreads worldwide. The police officers are acquitted, which in turn triggers the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. -
The Case of Delwin Vriend
Vriend was a Canadain who found himself at the center of an important provincial and federal case regarding the inclusion of sexual orientation as a protected human right in Canada. In 1998, the Supreme Court of Canada rules that provincial governments could not exclude the protection of individuals from human rights legistlation on the basis of sexual orientiation. -
John F. Kennedy Jr. Dies
During an aviation accident over the Atlantic Ocean, John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife and her sister plunge into the ocean and reportedly die upon impact. It is not until July 21 that the three bodies are recovered from the ocean floor by navy divers. -
Gay Marriage in Canada
On July 20th, 2005, Canada becomes the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. -
Trayvon Martin
In Sanford, Florida, George Zimmerman fatally shoots 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The shooting is a key example of racial profiling, as Zimmerman felt "threatened" by the black youth, who was only carring a bag of skittles and an iced tea.
