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The Atlantic slave trade was a period of time in which millions of African men, women, and children were captured and forcibly transported to the Americas to be sold as slaves. The trade was fueled by European colonial powers' demand for cheap labor. The conditions of the transatlantic journey were horrific, with many slaves dying from disease, starvation, and violence. The Atlantic slave trade is considered the largest forced migration in history.
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The introduction of black slavery to the American colonies can be traced back to Jamestown, Virginia, where 20 African men and women were brought from Guinea on a Dutch ship. -
The Slave Codes were a series of laws enacted in British North America to define the status of enslaved Africans. They established regulations for enslaved individuals and affirmed the rights of their owners.
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Also known as the American Revolutionary War, this war was a conflict between Great Britain and thirteen of its North American colonies who declared themselves independent and formed the United States of America. The war was fought over issues such as taxation without representation, trade regulations, and British infringement on colonial rights. This war ended September 3, 1783. -
The Northwest Ordinance was created based on previous measures written by Thomas Jefferson and established a system for organizing the Northwest Territory. It provided for the orderly sale of land, public education, government, the creation of five to seven states out of the territory, and the banning of slavery within the territory. -
Written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789, the United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States. It established the framework for the federal government and its laws, including those that pertained to slavery and civil rights. -
This period of time refers to the period of time in the United States history before the Civil War. During the antebellum era, the United States experienced significant social, economic, and political changes.Slavery was also a central issue during this time, as tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces ultimately led to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.
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The Civil War was a catastrophic conflict that occurred in the United States. It was fought between the northern states, known as the Union, and the southern states, known as the Confederacy. The primary cause of the war was slavery, which had become a deeply divisive issue in American society. The Union ultimately emerged victorious, and slavery was abolished throughout the country.
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The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. It declared that all enslaved individuals in Confederate-held territory were to be freed, and that the Union Army and government would recognize their freedom. However, the Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately free all enslaved people in the United States, as it only applied to areas in rebellion against the federal government. -
The 13th Amendment (1865) abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime. The 14th Amendment (1868) granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., including former slaves, and banned states from denying any person due process of law or equal protection under the law. The 15th Amendment (1870) prohibits states from denying citizens the right to vote based on their race, color, or previous status as enslaved persons. -
This refers to the period of time in United States history immediately following the Civil War. During this time, the federal government worked to rebuild the country and to integrate former Confederate states into the Union. This included efforts to enforce civil rights for newly freed African Americans, as well as to rebuild infrastructure and promote economic development in the South.
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Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case. The case centered on the constitutionality of a Louisiana law mandating racial segregation on trains. In a 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the Louisiana law, ruling that "separate but equal" facilities for different races did not violate the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause. -
The Niagara Movement was a civil rights organization founded by a group of 29 African American leaders, including W.E.B. Du Bois, to fight for equal rights and challenge systemic racism in the United States. -
Following the dissolution of the Niagara Movement, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was established. It was was founded in response to a wave of violent racism and discrimination against African Americans in the U.S. The organization was created by a group of white and black activists. The NAACP advocated legal challenges against discrimination, promoted equality, fought lynching, and supported black artists and intellectuals. -
The Great Migration was a significant movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and Midwest between 1910 and 1940. -
The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s in Harlem, New York City. It was characterized by a flowering of African American art, literature, music, and intellectualism. -
Brown v. Board of Education was a monument Supreme Court case that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional. The case centered around a group of African American students who were denied admission to white schools in Topeka, Kansas. -
The Civil Rights Act was a piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement, and was a response to widespread discrimination and segregation in American society. -
The Voting Rights Act passed in 1965 was a crucial legislation that banned racial discrimination in voting. The act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in response to widespread voter suppression and intimidation of African American voters in the South. The act had a significant impact on African American voting rights and helped to increase voter registration and turnout among African Americans. -
The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. occurred in Memphis, Tennessee. King, a prominent civil rights leader and activist, was in Memphis to support striking sanitation workers when he was shot and killed on the balcony of his hotel room. His death was a devastating blow to the Civil Rights Movement and sparked riots and unrest in cities across the country.