1776 United States becomes independent

1787 US writes a constitution (laws) and only male white citizens can vote. Slaves are counted as 3/5 of a person.

1860 US fights a Civil War over the issue of slavery.

1865 US passes the 13th (abolishes slavery), 14th (makes slaves citizens), and 15th (gives all citizens the right to vote) amendments

1896 Plessey versus Ferguson establishes “separate but equal” policy.

1954 Brown vs Board of Education separate but equal is unconstitutional and stops segregation in public schools

A Time for Justice

…in a democracy, when the people speak, the government must listen.

Academy Award, Best Documentary Short, 1994

Civil Rights Movement

PoliticalTop Down

Moral/ReligiousBottom Up

Socio-EconomicBottom up

•Constitution•Supreme Court Decisions•Presidency•NAACP Legal Defense Fund

•Interracial Movement•SCLC•CORE•SNCC•Media

•Black Middle Class•Youth/Students•Boycott•Black Colleges

Emmitt Till

Bloody Sunday

Selma to Montgomery

Mississippi

Brown v Board of Education• Topeka, Kansas• Segregated

Schools• National

Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

• Separate makes it unequal

• 1954

Montgomery Bus Boycott

• 1955

• NAACP

• Boycott

• Bus System

Central High School

• 1957

• Little Rock, Arkansas

• 9 Students

• Segregate

• Federal Troops

March on Washington

• 1963

• Washington, DC

• 200,000

• I have a dream…

• Support Civil Rights Bill in Congress

“I Have a Dream….”

• 1963 Birmingham, Alabama

• 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing

• 1963 March on Washington

• Martin Luther King assassinated April 4, 1968

LegislationReconstruction Redux

• 1947 Integration of military• 1957 Central HS (enforcement of Brown vs Board)• 1962 James Meredith-Ole Miss (enforcement of Brown

vs Board)• 1964 Civil Rights Act• 1964 24th Amendment• 1965 Voting Rights Act• 1965 Immigration Law

Cause and Effect

1. 1947 Integration of military2. 1957 Central HS

(enforcement of Brown vs Board)

3. 1962 James Meredith-Ole Miss (enforcement of Brown vs Board)

4. 1964 Civil Rights Act5. 1964 24th Amendment6. 1965 Voting Rights Act7. 1965 Immigration Law