Landmark Civil Rights Milestones to Know for AP US History (anjeline's version)

Civil Rights Movement

A period in U.S. history focused on achieving racial equality and justice.

Emancipation Proclamation (1863)

Declared freedom for enslaved individuals in Confederate territories.

13th Amendment (1865)

Outlawed slavery in the U.S.

14th Amendment (1868)

Granted citizenship and established Due Process and Equal Protection.

15th Amendment (1870)

Prohibited voting restrictions based on race.

The Civil Rights Cases (1883)

Limited federal action against private discrimination.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Upheld racial segregation under 'separate but equal'.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Declared school segregation unconstitutional.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956)

Led to desegregation of buses.

Shelley v. Kraemer (1948)

Ruled against enforcement of racial covenants in housing.

Nine Black Students Enter Little Rock's Central High School (1957)

Symbolized resistance to desegregation; federal troops protected students.

The Presidential Election of 1960

Marked a shift in Black political alignment toward the Democratic Party.

Interstate Travel Desegregation (1960)

Supreme Court mandated desegregation in interstate travel.

The March on Washington (1963)

Defining moment for civil rights; MLK's 'I Have a Dream' speech.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Prohibited discrimination in public places and employment.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Eliminated voting barriers and increased African American voter participation.

Loving v. Virginia (1967)

Invalidated laws banning interracial marriage.