The future depends on what we do today.
-Mahatma Gandhi
Fourth of July
As we celebrate the birth of our nation, we also take time to reflect on the long and ongoing journey toward a more just and compassionate society. Our history is not without struggle or contradiction, yet over the years, we can also see meaningful steps forward. In that spirit, we give thanks for the many individuals and movements who have worked across generations to widen the circle of belonging.
Let’s celebrate one significant step forward from every decade of our nation’s history:
- 1770s – The Declaration of Independence proclaimed that “All are created equal,” planting ideals that future generations would challenge the nation to fulfill.
- 1780s – Pennsylvania’s Gradual Abolition Act became the first law in the new United States to begin the legislative abolition of slavery, inspiring other Northern states to follow.
- 1790s – The Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791, guaranteeing fundamental freedoms including religion, speech, press, peaceful assembly and the right to petition the government
- 1800s – The Second Great Awakening religious revival inspired many early movements for prison reform, education and abolition.
- 1810s – African American churches and free Black communities expanded efforts for education, mutual aid and abolition.
- 1820s – Public education expands through the Common School movement.
- 1830s – The American Anti-Slavery Society was founded in 1833 to advocate for the immediate end of slavery through education, moral persuasion and nonviolent activism.
- 1840s – The Seneca Falls Convention launched the organized movement for women’s rights.
- 1850s – In response to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, thousands of ordinary Americans joined abolitionists in protecting freedom seekers and publicly resisting laws that upheld slavery.
- 1860s – Slavery was abolished with the Thirteenth Amendment, followed by constitutional protections for citizenship and equal protection.
- 1870s – More colleges and universities began opening their doors to women, expanding access to higher education and creating new opportunities for leadership and service.
- 1880s –The growth of organized labor following the 1886 Haymarket movement and campaigns for the eight-hour workday.
- 1900s – The National Child Labor Committee helped expose the exploitation of children in factories and mines, building public support for stronger child labor protections and compulsory education.
- 1910s – The women’s suffrage movement reached its peak, leading directly to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.
- 1920s – The Indian Citizenship Act granted U.S. citizenship to Native Americans born in the United States.
- 1930s – The Social Security Act created protections for older adults and people with disabilities.
- 1940s – President Harry S. Truman ordered the desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces, advancing racial equality in military service.
- 1950s – The Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision declared school segregation unconstitutional.
- 1960s – Landmark civil rights legislation, including the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act, transformed the fight for racial justice.
- 1970s – Title IX opened educational and athletic opportunities for generations of women and girls.
- 1980s – The Americans with Disabilities Act was developed through years of advocacy that transformed accessibility and inclusion.
- 1990s – The Family and Medical Leave Act guaranteed eligible workers unpaid, job-protected leave to care for a new child or a seriously ill family member.
- 2000s – The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act expanded federal protections against bias-motivated violence.
- 2010s – Marriage equality became the law of the land, affirming equal rights for same-sex couples.
- 2020s – The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act established the nation’s newest federal holiday.
Did you know?
The phrase “We the People” in the U.S. Constitution originally referred to a relatively small portion of the population in 1787, primarily white, land-owning men. Many groups, including women, enslaved people and Native Americans, were excluded from full political participation at the time. Over the course of U.S. history, through constitutional amendments and social movements, that phrase has been continually reinterpreted and expanded to include people who were once left out of its promise.