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The 13th Amendment, adopted in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. This landmark amendment marked the first significant change to the Constitution aiming to ensure the civil rights of African Americans.

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The Dred Scott v. Sandford case in 1857 declared that African Americans were not citizens and therefore could not sue in federal court. It deepened the national divide over slavery, contributing to the outbreak of the Civil War, and was later nullified by the 13th and 14th Amendments.

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The Civil Rights Act of 1866 declared all persons born in the United States to be citizens, "without distinction of race or color, or previous condition of slavery or involuntary servitude.

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Adopted in 1868, the 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States—including former slaves—and guaranteed all citizens "equal protection of the laws." This amendment became a cornerstone for future rulings on civil rights.

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The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibited 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." It aimed to ensure African American men the right to vote, though significant barriers remained.

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Plessy v. Ferguson, a 1896 Supreme Court decision, upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the doctrine of "separate but equal." This set the precedent for Jim Crow laws, enforcing racial segregation, and was not overturned until the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954.

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The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, prohibited the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex. This landmark amendment ensured women's suffrage, significantly altering the American electorate.

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Late 19th Century to 1960s: Jim Crow Laws

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Late 19th Century to 1960s: Jim Crow Laws

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Jim Crow laws were state and local statutes that legalized racial segregation. Named after a black minstrel show character, these laws remained in force from the 1870s into the 1960s. They were eventually overthrown by a series of Supreme Court decisions and civil rights laws.

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The Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in 1954 declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. It overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, stating that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal."

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Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, became a national symbol for the integration of public schools in the United States. In 1957, the Little Rock Nine, a group of African American students, faced hostile crowds when they integrated the previously all-white Central High.

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Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States

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Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States

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Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbade racial discrimination by places of public accommodation if their operations affected commerce. The Heart of Atlanta Motel in Atlanta, Georgia, refused to accept Black Americans. The government sought to enjoin the motel from discriminating on the basis of race under Title II.

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The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This pivotal legislation ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination, fundamentally changing American society.

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The Twenty-fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits both Congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other types of tax.

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The Voting Rights Act of 1965 aimed to overcome legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote under the 15th Amendment. This act is considered one of the most far-reaching pieces of civil rights legislation in U.S. history.

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The Fair Housing Act protects people from discrimination when they are renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance, or engaging in other housing-related activities

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United States Constitution established a nationally standardized minimum age of 18 for participation in state and local elections.

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Roe v. Wade was a landmark decision by the Supreme Court that established a woman's legal right to an abortion under the 14th Amendment's concept of personal liberty. This shifted the constitutional conversation towards individual rights and privacy.

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In 1978, the Supreme Court's decision in Bakke v. Regents of the University of California upheld affirmative action, allowing race to be one of several factors in college admission policy. However, it ruled against the use of racial quotas, setting the stage for future affirmative action cases.

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1978: Affirmative Action (Regents of the University of California v. Bakke)

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1978: Affirmative Action (Regents of the University of California v. Bakke)

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The Supreme Court upholds the concept of affirmative action, allowing race to be one of several factors in college admission policies. This decision reflected a continuing effort to address past discrimination and to promote diversity.

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The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. This landmark legislation extended civil rights protections to people with disabilities, marking a significant advancement in the recognition and protection of rights for all.