| 1619 |
A year before the Mayflower, the first 20 African slaves are sold to settlers in Virginia as "indentured servants." |
| 1789 |
The Constitution is adopted. Slaves are counted as 3/5 of a person for means of representation. |
| 1831 |
Nat Turner leads slave revolt in Virginia. |
| 1838 |
Over 18,000 Cherokees are forcibly removed from their land and resettled west of the Mississippi. |
| 1848 |
First Women's Rights Convention meeting in Seneca Falls, N.Y. Elizabeth Cady Stanton proposes a constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote. |
| 1851 |
Sojourner Truth, an African American woman, gave her famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech at the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. The Women's Rights Movement grew in large part out of the antislavery movement. |
| 1861 |
The Civil War begins. |
| 1863 |
President Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation declares "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." |
| 1865 |
The Civil War ends. Lincoln is assassinated. The Freedmen's Bureau is established to help former slaves. Ku Klux Klan forms in Tennessee. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, stating that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude... shall exist". |
| 1867 |
Over 2,000 Chinese workers on the Central Pacific Railroad strike for better pay. |
| 1868 |
The 14th Amendment is ratified, making African Americans full citizens of the U.S., prohibiting states from denying equal protection or due process of law. Women petition to be included but are turned down. |
| 1870 |
The 15th Amendment is ratified, guaranteeing the right to vote will not be denied on account of race. First segregation law is passed in Tennessee, mandating separation of African Americans from whites on trains. By 1885, most Southern states have laws requiring separate schools. |
| 1873 |
In Bradwell v. Illinois, the Supreme Court affirms that states can restrict women from the practice of any profession to preserve family harmony and uphold the "Law of the Creator." |
| 1875 |
Congress passes the first Civil Rights Act, requiring equal accommodations for blacks with whites in public facilities other than schools. |
| 1848 |
Congress passes the Chinese Exclusion Act, restricting the immigration of all Chinese laborers for 10 years and requiring Chinese to carry identification cards. (Renewed in 1892 for an additional 10 years.) |
| 1883 |
The Civil Rights Act of 1875 is voided by the Supreme Court. |
| 1886 |
Women's Suffrage Amendment asking for voting rights and the privilege of being heard on the floor of Congress reaches the Senate floor. It is defeated. |
| 1896 |
Supreme Court rules on Plessy v. Ferguson, upholding "separate but equal" accommodations under Jim Crow laws. The National Association of Colored Women is founded and becomes a major vehicle for attempted reforms on behalf of women and people of color for the next 40 years. |
| 1909 |
Women garment workers strike in New York for better wages and working conditions. Over 300 shops eventually sign union contracts. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is founded. |
| 1910 |
The Mexican Revolution brings an influx of immigrants to the U.S. seeking safety and employment. |
| 1916 |
Rep. Jeannette Ranking (R-Mont.) becomes the first woman elected to Congress. |
| 1917 |
During WWI, many women enter into jobs working in industries such as mining, chemical manufacturing, auto and railway plants, streetcar conducting and mail delivery. |
| 1920 |
The 19th Amendment gives women the right to vote and is ratified by the required 36 states. When African American women try to register to vote in most Southern states they face property tax requirements, literacy tests and other obstacles. A small number of fire departments begin hiring black males. |
| 1921 |
Emergency Immigration Restriction Law introduces a quota system that favors northern and western Europeans. |
| 1924 |
Congress passes the Indian Citizenship Act, granting U.S. citizenship to Native Americans. Several nations, including the Hopi and the Iroquois, decline citizenship in favor of retaining sovereign nationhood. |
| 1941 |
President Roosevelt issues an executive order banning discrimination against minorities in defense contracts. |
| 1942 |
Following the bombing at Pearl Harbor, U.S. government interns over 110,000 Japanese Americans in "relocation camps" encircled by barbed wire. |
| 1947 |
Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American to play major league baseball. |
| 1948 |
The Women's Armed Services Integration Act grants women permanent status in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. |
| 1954 |
In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court rules that deliberate public school segregation is illegal. Mexican Americans are ruled to be "persons of a distinct class" entitled to the protection of the 14th Amendment. Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on an Alabama bus to a white man, precipitating the Montgomery bus boycott led by Martin Luther King Jr. |
| 1957 |
Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, meets with legal resistance and violence. Nine African American students attend the school with the presence of federal troops. |
| 1962 |
Cesar Chávez leads the United Farm Workers Union to win bargaining power for Mexican Americans. |
| 1963 |
Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington. President John F. Kennedy is assassinated. |
| 1964 |
Congress passes the Civil Rights Act, protecting citizens against discrimination and segregation. Patsy Mink (D-HI) is the first Asian American woman elected to the U.S. Congress. |
| 1965 |
President Johnson signs executive order requiring federal agencies and contractors to take "affirmative action" in overcoming employment discrimination. President also signs the Immigration Act, which eliminates race, creed and nationality as a basis for admission to the U.S.
Malcolm X is assassinated. Race riots erupt in the Watts section of Los Angeles after an African American woman is killed by a fire truck driven by white men. |
| 1966 |
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is established to fight for political equality between the sexes. |
| 1967 |
President Johnson's executive order expands previous nondiscrimination measure to include women. Enforcement is not won until 1973. Congress passes the Age Discrimination Act of 1967, prohibiting employment discrimination against older Americans. |
| 1968 |
Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated. Unrest and civil disorders erupt in 124 cities across the country. President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968, aimed at curbing discrimination in housing. Senator Robert Kennedy is assassinated. Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-NY) is the first African American woman elected to Congress. The American Indian Movement (AIM) is founded in Minneapolis. |
| 1969 |
Police raid the Stonewall Inn, a Greenwich Village bar catering to homosexuals, resulting in two nights of rioting and the beginning of the Gay Rights Movement. |
| 1867 |
Over 2,000 Chinese workers on the Central Pacific Railroad strike for better pay. |
| 1868 |
The 14th Amendment is ratified, making African Americans full citizens of the U.S., prohibiting states from denying equal protection or due process of law. Women petition to be included but are turned down. |
| 1870 |
The 15th Amendment is ratified, guaranteeing the right to vote will not be denied on account of race. First segregation law is passed in Tennessee, mandating separation of African Americans from whites on trains. By 1885, most Southern states have laws requiring separate schools. |
| 1873 |
In Bradwell v. Illinois, the Supreme Court affirms that states can restrict women from the practice of any profession to preserve family harmony and uphold the "Law of the Creator." |
| 1875 |
Congress passes the first Civil Rights Act, requiring equal accommodations for blacks with whites in public facilities other than schools. |
| 1848 |
Congress passes the Chinese Exclusion Act, restricting the immigration of all Chinese laborers for 10 years and requiring Chinese to carry identification cards. (Renewed in 1892 for an additional 10 years.) |
| 1883 |
The Civil Rights Act of 1875 is voided by the Supreme Court. |
| 1886 |
Women's Suffrage Amendment asking for voting rights and the privilege of being heard on the floor of Congress reaches the Senate floor. It is defeated. |
| 1896 |
Supreme Court rules on Plessy v. Ferguson, upholding "separate but equal" accommodations under Jim Crow laws. The National Association of Colored Women is founded and becomes a major vehicle for attempted reforms on behalf of women and people of color for the next 40 years. |
| 1909 |
Women garment workers strike in New York for better wages and working conditions. Over 300 shops eventually sign union contracts. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is founded. |
| 1910 |
The Mexican Revolution brings an influx of immigrants to the U.S. seeking safety and employment. |
| 1916 |
Rep. Jeannette Ranking (R-Mont.) becomes the first woman elected to Congress. |
| 1917 |
During WWI, many women enter into jobs working in industries such as mining, chemical manufacturing, auto and railway plants, streetcar conducting and mail delivery. |
| 1920 |
The 19th Amendment gives women the right to vote and is ratified by the required 36 states. When African American women try to register to vote in most Southern states they face property tax requirements, literacy tests and other obstacles. A small number of fire departments begin hiring black males. |
| 1921 |
Emergency Immigration Restriction Law introduces a quota system that favors northern and western Europeans. |
| 1924 |
Congress passes the Indian Citizenship Act, granting U.S. citizenship to Native Americans. Several nations, including the Hopi and the Iroquois, decline citizenship in favor of retaining sovereign nationhood. |
| 1941 |
President Roosevelt issues an executive order banning discrimination against minorities in defense contracts. |
| 1942 |
Following the bombing at Pearl Harbor, U.S. government interns over 110,000 Japanese Americans in "relocation camps" encircled by barbed wire. |
| 1947 |
Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American to play major league baseball. |
| 1948 |
The Women's Armed Services Integration Act grants women permanent status in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. |
| 1954 |
In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court rules that deliberate public school segregation is illegal. Mexican Americans are ruled to be "persons of a distinct class" entitled to the protection of the 14th Amendment. Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on an Alabama bus to a white man, precipitating the Montgomery bus boycott led by Martin Luther King Jr. |
| 1957 |
Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, meets with legal resistance and violence. Nine African American students attend the school with the presence of federal troops. |
| 1962 |
Cesar Chávez leads the United Farm Workers Union to win bargaining power for Mexican Americans. |
| 1963 |
Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington. President John F. Kennedy is assassinated. |
| 1964 |
Congress passes the Civil Rights Act, protecting citizens against discrimination and segregation. Patsy Mink (D-HI) is the first Asian American woman elected to the U.S. Congress. |
| 1965 |
President Johnson signs executive order requiring federal agencies and contractors to take "affirmative action" in overcoming employment discrimination. President also signs the Immigration Act, which eliminates race, creed and nationality as a basis for admission to the U.S.
Malcolm X is assassinated. Race riots erupt in the Watts section of Los Angeles after an African American woman is killed by a fire truck driven by white men. |
| 1966 |
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is established to fight for political equality between the sexes. |
| 1967 |
President Johnson's executive order expands previous nondiscrimination measure to include women. Enforcement is not won until 1973. Congress passes the Age Discrimination Act of 1967, prohibiting employment discrimination against older Americans. |
| 1968 |
Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated. Unrest and civil disorders erupt in 124 cities across the country. President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968, aimed at curbing discrimination in housing. Senator Robert Kennedy is assassinated. Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-NY) is the first African American woman elected to Congress. The American Indian Movement (AIM) is founded in Minneapolis. |
| 1969 |
Police raid the Stonewall Inn, a Greenwich Village bar catering to homosexuals, resulting in two nights of rioting and the beginning of the Gay Rights Movement. |
| 1971 |
In Alaska and Montana, women are paid for the first time since World War II for fire suppression work. All-women crews work with excellent reviews, but they are subsequently terminated in favor of co-ed crews. |
| 1972 |
Title IX of the Education Amendment prohibits gender discrimination in educational programs or activities that receive federal assistance. |
| 1973 |
The Civil Service Commission eliminates height and weight requirements, which have discriminated against women applying for police, park service and firefighting jobs. Congress passes section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act barring discrimination against disabled people under any program or activity receiving federal funds.
In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court strikes down most states' restrictive abortion laws, greatly expanding a woman's right to legal abortion. |
| 1975 |
President Ford signs law admitting women to military academies. The American Medical Association calls for the repeal of all state laws barring homosexual acts between consenting adults. |
| 1976 |
Title IX goes into effect, opening the way for women's increased participation in athletics programs and professional schools, whereupon enrollments leap in both categories. |
| 1978 |
In the Regents of the University of California v. Bakke case, the Supreme Court upholds affirmative action principles but rejects fixed racial quotas as unconstitutional. Bakke had been denied a slot in medical school and claimed to be a victim of reverse discrimination when a minority student with lower test scores gained admission through affirmative action. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act amends the 1964 Civil Rights Act to ban employment discrimination against pregnant women. |
| 1981 |
Sandra Day O'Connor is the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1993, she is joined by Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The first news reports of what will become the AIDS epidemic are published. |
| 1982 |
The Equal Rights Amendment, which would have written into the Constitution equal pay for equal work, a guarantee of social opportunity and a ban on sexual bias, falls three states short of ratification. The Supreme Court rules that children of undocumented immigrants have a right to free public schooling. |
| 1984 |
Geraldine Ferraro is the first woman vice-presidential candidate of a major political party (Democratic). The Supreme Court holds that states have the right to outlaw homosexual acts between consenting adults. |
| 1986 |
The Supreme Court declares that sexual harassment is a form of illegal job discrimination. Coined in 1975, the term sexual harassment is defined as "uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical conduct directed at an employee because of his or her sex." |
| 1989 |
Douglas Wilder (D-Virginia) becomes the nation's first African American elected to state governor. |
| 1990 |
Congress passes the Americans with Disabilities Act, banning discrimination against people with disabilities. |
| 1991 |
Thurgood Marshall, the first African American appointed to the Supreme Court, resigns for health reasons. Another African American, Clarence Thomas, is nominated and confirmed, following lengthy hearings that stemmed from sexual harassment accusations against Thomas by former employee Anita Hill. |
| 1992 |
The first racially based riots in decades erupt in Los Angeles and other cities after police officers are acquitted in the videotaped beating of Rodney King, an African American. |
| 1993 |
President Clinton pursues his policy of lifting the ban prohibiting gays from serving in the military. Faced with congressional opposition, Clinton announces a "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue" policy, which falls short of allowing or protecting lesbians and gay men in the military. |
| 1995 |
Air Force Lt. Col. Eileen M. Collins becomes the first woman pilot of a space shuttle, the Discovery. Marcelite Harris is the first black woman to attain the rank of major general, serving in the U.S. Airforce. |
| 1996 |
Proposition 209 passes in California, abolishing the state's affirmative action programs in hiring, contracting and educational admissions. Subsequently, similar initiatives have appeared at the city, state and national level. |
| 2004 |
Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) and American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) recognize that one of the most important challenges facing the magazine publishing industry is ensuring that their respective workforce reflects the unprecedented diversity of American society. They encourage publishing companies to promote diversity in their organizations and in the products they create by establishing initiatives with the goal of fostering a culture of inclusion, equity, fairness and respect. |
| Sources: American Women's Veterans Association, National Civil Rights Museum, National Women's History Project, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Seattle Times, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and the Encyclopedia Britannica Guide to Black History. |
