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African American History Timeline

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African American History Timeline

Study the timeline and short evidence cards, then answer the questions. Dates are in the Common Era (CE). For extended responses, support your interpretation with specific evidence from the sheet and explain why it matters.

A timeline of change and continuity

African American history includes resistance, institution-building and struggles over citizenship and power. The dates below highlight important events, but no single timeline can represent every person’s experience. 1863 — The Emancipation Proclamation took effect. It declared enslaved people free in areas still in rebellion against the United States; it did not immediately end slavery everywhere. 1865 — The 13th Amendment was ratified and abolished slavery, except as punishment for a crime. 1896 — In Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court upheld racial segregation under the doctrine of “separate but equal”. 1909 — The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded to campaign for civil rights. 1916–1970 — During the Great Migration, millions of African Americans moved from the rural South to cities in the North, Midwest and West, seeking greater safety and opportunity. 1954 — In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. 1955–1956 — The Montgomery Bus Boycott challenged segregated public transport in Alabama. 1964 — The Civil Rights Act prohibited discrimination in several areas of public life and employment. 1965 — The Voting Rights Act outlawed discriminatory practices used to prevent Black citizens from voting. Evidence cards A. The 13th Amendment changed the law, but it did not by itself guarantee equal treatment, safety, access to education or political power. B. The Great Migration had multiple causes, including racial violence, discriminatory laws, and the search for jobs and opportunity. Migrants also shaped the cultural and political life of the cities where they settled. C. The Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act were major legal changes. Their passage did not mean that all discrimination or unequal outcomes immediately disappeared.

Read the timeline

Use the dates and explanations above as your evidence.

1.Which statement best explains the difference between the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment?

The Proclamation declared freedom in areas still in rebellion; the amendment abolished slavery under the Constitution.
The Proclamation ended segregation; the amendment created the NAACP.
Both were Supreme Court decisions that ended slavery at the same time.
The amendment applied only to the states that had rebelled.

2.Put these events in chronological order by writing 1–4 beside each: Brown v. Board of Education; NAACP founded; Plessy v. Ferguson; Voting Rights Act.

3.Which Supreme Court ruling upheld the “separate but equal” doctrine, and which later ruling declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional? Give both names and dates.

4.The Great Migration lasted from 1916 to 1970. Name two reasons African Americans moved, using Evidence Card B.

5.True or false? The 13th Amendment immediately guaranteed equal access to education and voting for African Americans. Correct the statement if it is false.

TrueFalse

6.Complete the timeline dates: the 13th Amendment was ratified in ; Brown v. Board of Education was decided in ; the Civil Rights Act was passed in .

7.Explain one important change and one continuing challenge after the passage of the Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965). Use Evidence Card C.

8.What does the timeline suggest about the relationship between legal change and organised action? Give one example of each and explain how they relate.

9.Which event on the timeline do you consider a major turning point: the 13th Amendment, Brown v. Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act or the Voting Rights Act? State your choice and justify it with two details from the timeline or evidence cards.

10.Interpret the timeline’s limits: give one reason why a timeline of laws and national events cannot fully show the experiences of African Americans across the United States.