All timelines
Civil Rights Law
Apr 9, 1866Enacted
Civil Rights Act of 1866
Granted citizenship and equal rights to all persons born in the U.S. regardless of race.
Jul 9, 1868Enacted
Fourteenth Amendment Ratified
Guaranteed equal protection and due process; overturned Dred Scott.
Mar 1, 1875Enacted
Civil Rights Act of 1875
Guaranteed equal treatment in public accommodations regardless of race.
Oct 15, 1883Overturned
Civil Rights Cases
Supreme Court struck down the Civil Rights Act of 1875, ruling Congress could not regulate private discrimination.
May 18, 1896Upheld
Plessy v. Ferguson
Supreme Court upheld 'separate but equal' doctrine, legalizing racial segregation.
May 17, 1954Overturned
Brown v. Board of Education
Supreme Court struck down 'separate but equal' in public education.
Jul 2, 1964Enacted
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Nov 21, 1991Amended
Civil Rights Act of 1991
Allowed compensatory and punitive damages in employment discrimination cases.
Jun 15, 2020Upheld
Bostock v. Clayton County
Title VII protections extended to sexual orientation and gender identity.