The Legacy of Slavery

The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.

Agriculture, particularly the cultivation of cotton, was the primary economic activity in the Southern United States during the antebellum period.

Frederick Douglass, a former slave, became a prominent abolitionist leader known for his powerful speeches and writings against slavery.

The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved people to escape to freedom in the Northern states and Canada.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) was a landmark Supreme Court case that established the "separate but equal" doctrine, allowing for the segregation of public facilities based on race.

The Civil Rights Movement was a period of struggle in the United States from the 1950s to the 1960s to end racial segregation and discrimination.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent civil rights leader known for his nonviolent resistance and advocacy for racial equality.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark civil rights legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1868, prohibits states from depriving citizens of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency created to enforce civil rights laws and promote equal opportunity in employment.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954) was a landmark Supreme Court case that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

The Black Power Movement was a civil rights movement that aimed to promote Black nationalism and self-determination.

Malcolm X was a prominent civil rights leader known for his advocacy of armed self-defense and his critique of nonviolent resistance.

Loving v. Virginia (1967) was a landmark Supreme Court case that declared interracial marriage to be legal.

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) was a landmark Supreme Court case that declared that same-sex couples have the right to marry.