The history of the United States was rife with inequalities, despite the stirring words in their constitution that "all men are created equal." Fortunately, that same constitution offered legal means to secure the rights of everyone. Originally, only land-owning white males could vote, but soon any white man could do so. A major step occurred after their Civil War, when men of African descent (who had been slaves up until that point) achieved equality, at least on paper. The dawn of the 20th century saw females get the vote. It was not until the late 1950's, however, that things really started to change. African-Americans demanded not only rights, but actual equality, forcing massive legislation in the following decade. Women, too, started demanding "equal pay for equal work", while other groups demanded equality on a multitude of platforms: Native Americans, Hispanic immigrants, homosexuals, and young adults of all groups demanded voting rights, anti-discrimination laws, and equal pay.  Eventually, the United States was the first nation to recognize all of these groups as equal, and to treat them as such, in order to forge ahead a stronger, happier nation.