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The 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was one of three amendments made to the constitution shortly after the civil war. The 13th amendment simply stated “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude… shall exist within the United States.” The emancipation proclamation had been made a few years earlier which granted slaves freedom but it after the civil war ended it lost its power. The 13th amendment was a permanent fix to the problem of slavery. This was a giant step forward for equality in America. -
The 14th Amendment
14th AmendmentThe 14th amendment promised that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States" where to be "citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." While this did secure citizenship for blacks it did not grant citizenship for Native Americans. However, this was still another huge step forward for equal rights in America. In addition thealso required that states give all people due process of the law before any legal action could be taken against them. -
The 15th Amendment
15th AmendmentThe 15th amendment stated “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied… on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” This was last of the three amendments to come after the civil war. While this amendment was very significant it was arguably the least effective of the three amendments. Many whites, particularly in the south, took it upon themselves to forcibly stop blacks from voting and as a result many blacks were still unable to vote. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
Plessy vs. Ferguson was eventually brought to the Supreme Court after Homer Plessy was thrown in jail for deliberately sitting in a train car that was only for whites. The court eventually upheld that segregation was constitutional as long as it was “separate but equal.” This was an obvious setback for equality in America. While it was claimed that separate was equal in reality it never was. -
Jackie Robinson
On this day Jackie Robinson played his first game in the major leagues. This marked the first time a black man played in the major leagues as there was a separate Negro league for black players. Robinson won the rookie of the year award that year and won multiple MVP awards in years to come. He faced massive amounts of discrimination but always kept his cool and never fought back. He was a pioneer for black athletes and equality. -
Brown Vs. Board of Education
Brown vs. Board of Education was a case brought to the Supreme Court that questioned the constitutionality of segregation in public school. In the end it was ruled that this kind of segregation was unfair and unconstitutional. As part of the judges reasoning they stated, “Segregation of white and colored children in public schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored children...A sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn.” -
Rosa Parks
On this date Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. Blacks were to sit in the back and if the bus got full blacks were ordered by the bus driver to give up their seats for whites. The bus that Rosa was on filled up and the bus driver ordered her and others to give up their seats. She refused and was arrested. Her courage inspired countless people and a boycott on the buses was started later that day. -
Little Rock Integration
Little Rock High School denied nine black students into an all white school in defiance of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that made segregated schools illegal. In response President Eisenhower sent a division of the army to escort the students to the school. This event gained nationwide attention and set an important precedence that there was no wiggle room in the Supreme Court’s ruling. -
March on Washington
I Have a Dream SpeechAround 250,000 people participated in the march on Washington, a peaceful demonstration with the goal of securing equal rights. Throughout the day many speeches and performances were given next to the Lincoln Memorial. These were highlighted by Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech. The march gained the attention of the entire nation as it was broadcast to millions via television. The march did much to bring attention to civil rights issues. -
Civil Rights Act
The civil rights act of 1964 prohibited discrimination based on race, gender, or religion. This was a huge step forward for equality. First it overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson and the Jim Crow Laws which resulted in an end to the practice of segregation. However it reached further than that making any kind of discrimination illegal. While this did not solve all problems regarding race it did bring the country much closer to equality than it had ever been.
