Series: A Timeline of Resistance: The Perseverance of African Americans from the Revolutionary War to the Civil Rights Era

The story of African American’s fight for equality did not begin or end with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. In the National Capital Area, dedicated activism and self-determination has been documented since the Revolutionary War through the present day. This series consists of six articles that outline distinct timelines of resistance and activism in the fight for freedom.

• Article 1: Equality in the National Capital Area During the Revolution and War of 1812

  

  The nation's pledge to liberty, justice and the pursuit of happiness is challenged by its legacy of enslavement and the empty promises offered to African Americans during their service in both the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. This timeline gives you a listing of events in the national capital area. Read more

• Article 2: Abolitionism and Freedom in the National Capital Area

  

  This timeline follows events revolving around civil rights in the National Capital Area and related people, places, parks and more. Read more

• Article 3: Civil Rights and the Civil War in the National Capital Area

  

  The Civil War showed the cracks in the loosely held peace between the North and South. As the end of slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation established a reason for African Americans to join the fight, the stage was set for African American men to fight for their own freedom and rights as citizens of America. Read more

• Article 4: Reconstruction in the National Capital Area

  

  The legacy of Reconstruction is filled with triumph and trials, gains and losses. Though the era resulted in the dawn of the Jim Crow era, it did see a rise in Black political and social representation and power. Read more about the Reconstruction era in this timeline following the history of civil rights in America. Read more

• Article 5: The Early Civil Rights Struggle in the National Capital Area

  

  Following the Reconstruction Era and the subsequent decades of hard-won freedom for African Americans, the early Civil Rights era emerged in response to the Jim Crow laws enacted to uphold White Supremacy undo the minimal rights gained. Follow the timeline in this article to learn about key moments of the early Civil Rights Movement Read more

• Article 6: The Modern Civil Rights Movement in the National Capital Area

  

  The national capital area’s everyday people contributed to the overall success of the modern Civil Rights Movement. From students to pastors, lawyers to teachers, parents and every-day people planned efforts between the 1950s to the 1960s to eliminate segregation and the discrimination. Read more