Introduction
Since Baltimore first began, the city’s African American residents have fought to secure, protect, and expand their individual and collective rights and opportunities in America. Learn more about the history of the local civil rights movement and associated historic places from a series of essays covering over 140 years of regional history.
1831-1884: Abolition and Emancipation
From Nat Turner’s Rebellion to the U.S. Civil War and Emancipation.
1885-1929: Segregation and the Fourteenth Amendment
Organizing against Jim Crow segregation and disenfranchisement.
1930-1965: The Great Depression and World War II
Fighting through the Great Depression, WWWII, and the reaction to Brown v. Board.
1966-1976: After the Unrest
New militancy in the movement, community development, and white reaction in politics.
Conclusion
A brief overview of the recent history of the movement from the 1980s through the Baltimore Uprising and the aftermath of the massive 2015 protests illustrate the clear continuity between the civil rights movement of the past and the continued struggle of activists in Baltimore today.
Featured Essays
This study included research on a number of featured historic places including an individual National Register nomination for the Arch Social Club and a detailed investigation into the history of Confederate memory and monuments.
