The abolitionist movement was a social and political push for the immediate emancipation of all slaves and the end of racial discrimination and segregation. Advocating for emancipation separated abolitionists from more moderate anti-slavery advocates, who argued for gradual emancipation, and from âFree-Soilâ activists who sought to restrict slavery to existing areas and prevent its spread.
MARRIAGE EQUALITY. UPDATE: The USA has marriage equality! Same-sex marriage has been legal nationwide since June 26, 2015. Full update to our article coming soon.
In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled all state bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry nationwide. This timeline highlights the changes in state policies leading up to that ruling, starting in 1995 â when Utah became the first state to enact a Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).