15 most impactful events in the Civil Rights Movements Timeline by Valerie Arredondo

Seneca Falls (1848)

2725610 — 2024-05-28 15:53:27 UTC

The Seneca Falls Convention fought for the civil, social and religious rights of women and was the first women's rights convention in the US. It was held in July 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York. The meeting launched the women's suffrage movement. Three hundred people attended the convention organized in part by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. One hundred of the attendees signed the Declaration of Sentiments, which included a call for women's access to the vote, which more than seven decades later ensured women the right to vote.

13th amendment (1865)

2725610 — 2024-05-28 16:11:09 UTC

the 13th amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in 1865, after the Civil War abolished slavery in the US. The 13th amendment states "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the US or any place subject to their jurisdiction" in other words, the 13 amendment forever abolished/ got rid of slavery as an institution in all US territories. in addition to banning slavery, the amendment outlawed the practice of involuntary servitude and peonage

15th amendment (1870)

2725610 — 2024-05-28 16:16:51 UTC

the 15 amendment was ratified into the US constitution in 1870. it ensured the right to vote to all male citizens of the US regardless of color or previous condition of servitude. it opened the door for the election of african americans to the US congress ad southern local and state officer. this amendment allowed african american men including past slaves to vote.

19th amendment (1920)

2725610 — 2024-05-28 16:25:40 UTC

The 19th Amendment, ratified on August 18, 1920, granted American women the right to vote, ending nearly a century of protest. The amendment states that voting rights cannot be denied based on sex. Achieving this required decades of effort and protest.

Rosa Parks and the Boycotts

2725610 — 2024-05-28 16:29:02 UTC

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her act of defiance led to the yearlong Montgomery Bus Boycott, where African Americans avoided city buses to protest segregated seating. This 13-month protest concluded with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses is unconstitutional. The boycott was organized by the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), led by Martin Luther King Jr., who became a key civil rights leader. The boycott showcased the power of nonviolent mass protest to combat racial segregation and inspired similar movements in the South.

Civil Rights Act 1957

2725610 — 2024-05-28 16:30:47 UTC

The civil rights movement, primarily in the 1950s and 1960s, sought social justice for Black Americans to secure equal rights under U.S. law. Although the Civil War ended slavery, discrimination and racism persisted, especially in the South. By the mid-20th century, Black Americans and allies launched a significant fight for equality that lasted two decades. A new law created the Civil Rights Section of the Justice Department, allowing federal prosecutors to obtain court injunctions to protect voting rights.

March on Washington 1963

2725610 — 2024-05-28 16:31:29 UTC

On August 28, 1963, 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C. for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, demanding an end to segregation, fair wages, economic justice, voting rights, education, and civil rights protections. The event highlighted the ongoing challenges and inequalities faced by African Americans a century after emancipation and supported pending civil rights legislation in Congress. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, inspiring many to join the Civil Rights Movement.

24th amendment

2725610 — 2024-05-28 16:34:30 UTC

The 24th Amendment, ratified on January 23, 1964, abolished poll taxes, prohibiting federal and state governments from imposing taxes on voters in federal elections. It states that citizens' voting rights in presidential, vice-presidential, senatorial, and congressional elections cannot be denied due to unpaid poll taxes or any other taxes. Before this amendment, some states required citizens to pay a fee, known as a poll tax, to vote in national elections.

Civil rights act 1964

2725610 — 2024-05-28 16:36:26 UTC

On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law. This landmark legislation prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The Act forbids discrimination in hiring, promotion, and firing, and Title VII established the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to prevent workplace discrimination. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination, marking a major achievement of the civil rights movement. Initially proposed by President John F. Kennedy, it overcame strong opposition from Southern members of Congress and was signed into law by his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson. In the following years, Congress expanded the Act and passed additional civil rights legislation, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Selma Montgomery march 1965

2725610 — 2024-05-28 17:55:37 UTC

The Selma to Montgomery March was part of a series of civil rights protests in 1965 in Alabama, a state with deeply entrenched racist policies. In March of that year, protesters marched 54 miles from Selma to Montgomery to register Black voters in the South. They faced deadly violence from local authorities and white vigilante groups. Under the protection of federalized National Guard troops, the protesters eventually succeeded, marching for three days to reach Montgomery. This historic march, highlighted by Martin Luther King Jr.'s participation, raised awareness of the challenges faced by Black voters and underscored the need for a national Voting Rights Act.

Voting rights 1965

2725610 — 2024-05-28 17:59:26 UTC

The Voting Rights Act of 1965, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, aimed to overcome legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote as guaranteed under the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Voting Rights Act is considered one of the most far-reaching pieces of civil rights legislation in U.S. history. The act banned the use of literacy tests, provided for federal oversight of voter registration in areas where less than 50 percent of the non-white population had registered to vote, and authorized the U.S. Attorney General to investigate the use of poll taxes in state and local elections.

26 amendment 1971

2725610 — 2024-05-28 18:02:12 UTC

The 26th Amendment, ratified in March 1971, lowered the voting age in the United States from 21 to 18. The push for this change started during World War II and gained momentum during the Vietnam War, as young men drafted into the military argued for their right to vote. In the 1970 case Oregon v. Mitchell, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Congress could set the voting age for federal elections but not for state and local ones. This decision spurred support for a constitutional amendment, which Congress quickly passed and states ratified. President Richard Nixon signed it into law, granting 18- to 20-year-olds the right to vote for President and Vice President, although some states limited this right for other offices. This disparity caused public outcry, especially among young people facing military conscription without the ability to vote, prompting widespread state support for a uniform national voting age.

Equal right amendment 1972-present

2725610 — 2024-05-28 18:05:48 UTC

In 1972, Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and sent it to the states to decide if it would become law. The ERA aimed to make sure women couldn't be treated unfairly because of their gender. Groups on both sides worked to convince states to either support or oppose it. Like other laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and Title IX of the Education Amendments, the ERA would stop unfair treatment based on gender, identity, or sexual orientation. It says, "Women and men should have the same rights under the law and no state or the U.S. government should treat them differently because of their gender." Congress could make sure this happened with new laws if needed.

Civil rights act 1991

2725610 — 2024-05-28 18:07:03 UTC

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

Provisions of this civil rights act forbade discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as, race in hiring. promoting, and firing. According to Congress, the Civil Rights Act of 1991 declares that an unlawful employment practice occurs, with respect to a seniority system that has been adopted for an intentionally discriminatory purpose, whether or not that purpose is apparent on the face of the system, when the system is adopted, when an individual becomes subject to the system, or when a person is injured by the application of the system."

BLM movement begins 2012

2725610 — 2024-05-28 18:09:24 UTC

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is an activist movement that started in the African-American community. It protests violence and racism against black people, especially police killings, racial profiling, and unfair treatment in the U.S. justice system. BLM began in 2013 with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media, sparked by George Zimmerman's acquittal in Trayvon Martin's shooting. It gained attention after protests over the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York City in 2014. The movement's impact is viewed differently based on people's race. The phrase 'All Lives Matter' emerged in response to BLM.