Preceden

Discrimination againt Blacks

Discrimination

This section is just acts of discrimination, pertaining to neither the people nor the government.

Black Codes in the South

1865

Black codes are passed by the Southern states, drastically reducing the rights of newly freed slaves.

The Scottsboro Boys

1931

Nine black boys are indicted in Scottsboro, Alabama, on charges of having raped two white women. Although the evidence was slim, the southern jury sentenced them to death.

Emmett Till Murder case

1955

A young black boy, Emmett Till, is brutally murdered for allegedly whistling at a white woman in Mississippi. Two white men charged with the crime are acquitted by an all-white jury.

Rosa Parks

1955

The blacks living in Montgomery protest Rosa Parks's arrest with a year-long bus boycott.

Little Rock Nine

1957

Nine black students are blocked from entering a school.

James Meredith

1962

Rioting breaks out after James Meredith becomes the first black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi.

People's Protest

This section is about people protesting against discrimination as well as government response.

Nat Turner Uprising

1831

Nat Turner, an enslaved African American preacher, leads the most significant slave uprising in American history. He and his followers launch a bloody rebellion in Southhampton County, Virginia.

John Brown Rebellion

1859

John Brown led a band of people in an attempt to start a slave revolt.

Emmett Till Murder Case

1955

The Civil Rights Movement began to slowly spur.

Rosa Parks

1955

Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat at the front of the "colored section" of a bus to a white passenger so she is arrested.

James Meredith

1962

James Meredith becomes the first black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi.

MLK "I have a dream" Speech

1963

Martin Luther King delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech.

Government Response

This section is about how the government responds to the people's protest and discrimination.

Nat Turner Uprising

1831

The Militia of Southampton County stops the rebellion and Turner is eventually hanged. Virginia makes slave laws more stricter.

John Brown Rebellion

1859

The U.S. Marines led by Robert E. Lee, capture Brown. He is hung.

The Emancipation Proclamation

1863

President Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all slaves within the Confederate states are free.

The 13th Amendment

1865

The 13th Amendment is ratified, prohibiting slavery.

The 14th Amendment

1868

The 14th Amendment is ratified, defining citizenship.

The 15th Amendment

1870

The 15th Amendment is ratified, giving blacks the right to vote.

Plessy v. Ferguson

1896

This Supreme Court case ruled that racial segregation is constitutional.

The Scottsboro Boys

1931

The Supreme Court overturns their convictions twice; each time Alabama retries them, finding them guilty. In a third trial, four of the Scottsboro boys are freed; but five are sentenced to long prison terms.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas

1954

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas declares that racial segregation in schools is unconstitutional canceling the ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson.

Emmett Till Murder Case

1955

People protested in outrage when the two white men boasted about committing the murder after not being found guilty.

Rosa Parks

1955

Montgomery's buses are desegregated.

Little Rock Nine

1957

Federal troops and the National Guard are called to intervene on behalf of the students.

MLK "I have a dream" Speech

1963

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom builds momentum for civil rights legislation.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

1964

President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits discrimination of all kinds based on race, color, religion, or national origin.

Civil Rights Act of 1968

1968

President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968, prohibiting discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing.