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March 5, 1868: Impeachment Trial of Andrew Johnson Begins

The impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson began in the Senate.

Feb. 8, 1868: Kate Brown Blocked from Seat in Ladies’ Car and Assaulted

An employee of the U.S. Senate, Kate Brown found political support from Sen. Charles Sumner and others in Congress when she was violently removed from the ladies' car, which was segregated illegally.

Feb. 3, 1868: First Freedmen’s Bureau Teacher Appointed in Lafayette Parish

Walter H. Williams was the first Black teacher appointed to a Freedmen's Bureau School in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana during Reconstruction.

Radical members, SC Legistlature | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 14, 1868: South Carolina Constitutional Convention

The South Carolina constitutional convention met with a majority of Black delegates, adopting a constitution that provided for all people regardless of race, economic class, or gender.

Jan. 7, 1868: Mississippi Constitutional Convention

The Mississippi Constitution was one of the first pieces of legislation that provided a uniform system of free public education for children regardless of race.

Rev. Henry McNeal Turner | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 9, 1867: Georgia Constitutional Convention

The Georgia Constitutional Convention was held with 33 African Americans and 137 whites.

Nov. 5, 1867: Alabama State Constitution

Delegates gathered in Montgomery, Alabama, to draft a new state constitution during Reconstruction.

April 24, 1867: Richmond Streetcar Protest

African Americans in Richmond, Virginia organized protests against segregated streetcars.

Right to Ride: Streetcar Boycotts and African American Citizenship in the Era of Plessy v. Ferguson Book Cover

March 27, 1867: Staged Ride-ins in South Carolina Streetcars

Staged ride-ins during Reconstruction in South Carolina were among the first (recorded) organized protests of segregation on a streetcar.

The New Orleans Riot at Mechanics' Institute | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

July 30, 1866: New Orleans Massacre

The New Orleans Massacre occurred when white residents attacked Black marchers near the reconvened Louisiana Constitutional Convention.

Southern Homestead Act | Zinn Education Project

June 21, 1866: Southern Homestead Act

The Southern Homestead Act of 1866 was signed.

June 13, 1866: 14th Amendment Passed

The 14th Amendment to the constitution was passed, granting citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States."

May 1 – 3, 1866: Memphis Massacre

White civilians and police killed 46 African-Americans and injured many more while burning houses, schools, and churches in Memphis, Tennessee.

Thaddeus Stevens | Zinn Education Project

Feb. 5, 1866: Thaddeus Stevens Proposes Land Distribution Amendment

Congressman Thaddeus Stevens offered an amendment to the Freedmen's Bureau Bill to authorize the distribution of public land.

13th Amendment Engraving | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 6, 1865: 13th Amendment Ratified

The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, officially ended the institution of slavery.

Dec. 4, 1865: Ex-Confederate States Blocked From Joining 39th Congress

After the Civil War, representatives from states recently in rebellion were blocked from being sworn-in at the 39th Congress.

June 19, 1865: “Juneteenth” Emancipation Day

Juneteenth or Emancipation Day is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.

May 25, 1865: Black Virginians Cast Freedom Ballots

On election day in Norfolk, African Americans tested their right to vote and when denied, cast their own "freedom ballots."

May 25: Memorial Day

Learn about the people's history of Decoration Day (Memorial Day).

Company E 4th U.S. Colored Infantry at Fort Lincoln Photo

April 9, 1865: Civil War Officially Ends

The U.S. Civil War ended when the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia surrendered to U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in south-central Virginia.

Freedmen's Bureau | Zinn Education Project

March 3, 1865: Freedmen’s Bureau Established

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was established within the War Department to undertake the relief effort and social reconstruction after the Civil War.

Special Field Order No. 15 | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 16, 1865: Special Field Order No. 15

Demands by Black ministers after the Ebenezer Creek Massacre led to the short-lived land distribution during Reconstruction known as Special Field Order No. 15.

Dec. 9, 1864: Ebenezer Creek Massacre

People who had escaped from slavery and were following the Union Army, were blocked from crossing the Ebenezer Creek, leading to their death.

Oct. 4, 1864: New Orleans Tribune Launched

The New Orleans Tribune was launched and published daily in French and English by Louis Charles Roudanez.

April 16, 1862: Compensated Emancipation Act

The federal government compensated the "owners" of enslaved people for their "loss of property." The people whose labor and families were stolen for generations were not compensated nor given any assistance for the transition to freedom.