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"Uncle Tom's Cabin" is Published
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe was a novel that supported the anti-slavery movement. It shed new light on slaver, and made people really stop and think about how they were treating African Americans. This book was a bestseller of its time, the only book surpassing it in sales being the Bible. It even inspired beloved black characters in other types of media, such as "mammy' and "pickaninny." Some say "Uncle Tom's Cabin" even propelled America into it's Civil War. -
American Civil War
The Civil War occurred when eleven of the states decided to separate themselves from the rest of the U.S. They formed the Confederate States of America. The entire war began because of slavery; the southern Confederacy was in favor of it, while the northern Union was opposed. Many battles were fought during this time, but ultimately, slavery was abolished from the country with the help of President Abraham Lincoln. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was a document, issued by President Abraham Lincoln, that declared all slaves in the U.S. free. It was directed towards the eleven states that were still in rebellion and continued to have slaves. This document helped to free three million slaves, and even permitted them to join the paid United States force. -
Plessy vs. Fergusson
This landmark Supreme Court case dealing with a half black, half white man testing the Jim Crow laws by sitting in an area of a train reserved for whites only. He was arrested, and when tried for his case, found guilty. This proved that, at that time, segregation was officially legal. More Information -
The Birth of a Nation
This film, The Birth of a Nation, was based on a book and play called "The Clansman" by Thomas Dixon, Jr. This movie, all about black men, portrayed them as unintelligent and aggressive towards women. All the black characters were played by white actors in blackface. The way the African Americans were portrayed in this film started quite the controversy, and the NAACP even began a campaign to ban the movie. It was unsuccessful. -
Negro National League is Founded
The Negro National League was a group of several African American baseball teams. They were originally created to give black people a chance to particapate in an otherwise segregated sport. Until this league and others like it were founded, this group of people was unable to play in organized teams of this fashion. Without this Negro National League, would we have ever had black baseball stars like Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron? -
The Great Depression
Beginning with a stock market crash, The Great Depression was a period of economic struggles for America, along with much of the world. Wages dropped, prices and profits plummeted, effecting both the rich and the poor. International trade decreased by 50%, and unemployment rate became horrifically high at 25% in the U.S and up to 33% around the world. It was a hot mess! <a href='http://http://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/videos/1929-stock-market-crash' >Click here to watch a video on -
Hattie McDaniel Wins Academy Award
Watch her win the award!On this day, Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Academy Award. She was honored Best Supporting actress for playing Mammy in "Gone With the Wind." This is quite the accomplishment because she began to pave the way for many other black actors and actresses to succeed. McDaniel also prove that the color of your skin doesn't decide what kind of person you are. Black people can act just as well as white people. They can be just as successful! -
Army is Desegrated
In 1951, the U.S. Army announced that it would be desegregating it's troops. This meant that African Americans and white people could fight side by side, supporting their country. This is quite an important event because it represents how the government slowly began to integrate equality into their system. Finally, the two races could do something "on the same level," without one being inferior to the other. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was an important government decision that made discrimination based on race, skin color, gender, origin, or religion illegal. This prevented segregation in many areas, such as schools and public facilities. At first, this act was not widely enforced. In order to spread it, authorities defended its need to be followed using many parts of the U.S. Constitution. Just as the 14th Amendment states, all citizens should receive equal protection under the law, even this one. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act made it illegal to discriminate based of race when it comes to voting. It was originally created to enforce the rights guaranteed in the 14th and 15th Amendments. The Voting Act of 1965 greatly assited many minorities, especially those in the south. The U.S. Department of Justice even considers it the most effective act of civil rights ever enacted. -
Shirley Chisolm Elected into Congress
In 1969, Shirley Chisolm became the first African American woman to join Congress. She served seven terms between this year and 1983. Her accomplishments are quite important in history because she not only held a government leadership position during a time when that was quite rare for an African American, but also expressed that woman can succeed in positions of authority. Learn More About Shirley
