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Dred Scott vs Sandford
This was the day that the Supreme Court delievered their opinion on the case of Dred Scott. In it, they stated that Scott was still a slave and not even a citizen of the United States. Therefore they stated that he could not even appeal to the court due to their lack of jurisdiction. This sealed the way for opponents of slavery to claim that slaves would never be citizens and never be protected by the Constitution of the United States, creating a major roadblock in civil rights. -
The 13th Amendment
This Amendment to the Constitution, made in the aftermath of the Civil War, abolished slavery in the United States of America. This also included abolishing forced servitude, except in cases of criminal punishment. This was a significant step in the civil rights efforts in that it allowed for the recognition of former slaves as free persons, allowing them to make later gains. -
The 14th Amendment
This was an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States that followed the Civil War. In it, the very definition of citizenship was formed. Thus, slaves who had been, according to Dred Scott v. Sandford, not been citizens were now fully recognized as such. The way this was formed allowed for multiple civil rights victories to come, for example the end of segregation and the incorporation of the nation Bill of Rights to all States. -
The 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment was the last of a group of Amendments passed after the Civil War. This Amendment guaranteed that no one would be denied the vote based on color, race, or previous servitude. Thus, this Amendment allowed former slaves to vote. It is significant to note that this did not permit women the right to vote, but it laid some of the groundwork for future civil rights actions. -
Poll Taxes
Poll taxes were taxes initiated after the passing of the 15th Amendment. These taxes were used to further discrimination and oppression of minority groups, in particular the newly freed African American community. These taxes would serve as a roadblock to Civil Rights for years to come. -
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Poll Taxes
For information, see the event "Poll Taxes". -
Plessy v. Ferguson
This case is very important to the history of American Civil Rights. In a 7 to 1 vote, the Supreme Court of the United States of America held that segregation was legal. This provided a huge wall for Civil Rights activists to face in the future. In other words, this was a setback for their efforts as minorities were legally allowed to be cut off from the rest of the country. This also led to the idea of "separate but equal" facilities that was used as a shield for further discriminatory actions. -
The 19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment was an important amendment in the history of Civil Rights. It states that no state or national government may discriminate against voting on the basis of gender. This allowed for women, who were kept from voting even longer than African Americans, a voice in government. This allowed for a more diverse impact through direct voting in our government and was a major victory in civil rights. -
White Primaries
White Primaries were used as another means of oppressing African Americans and keeping their voices from being heard within the government. They allowed for primary elections that only whites could attend, effectively cutting off other minorties. However, on this day, the Supreme Court announced in Smith v. Allwright that this was unconstitutional, which forced the States to drop white primaries and allow the minority parties to take part in the voting process with more equality. -
Brown v Board of Education
This was an historic corut case in which Plessy v. Fergusson was overturned. The court found that separate schools were naturally unequal and thus the "separate but equal" shield was taken down. With that, all segregation became unconstitutional and Civil Rights found victory as minority groups were granted fair access to areas formally "white-only". -
The 24th Amendment
The twenty-fourth Amendment was an amendment passed by Congress in support of Civil Rights. This amendment prohibits both state and national government from restricting voting through the use of a poll tax. In other words, those of lower social class who would be cut off from voting, primarily oppressed minorities, would now be able to vote. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This was a great piece of legislation signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson that helped to end discrimination in voter registration as well as end all segregation in public facilities. This meant that minorities would no longer be faced with the same adversity in voting and would be truly given equal facilities and resources (at least on a public level) and given access to education of a better quality than they previously had. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This is another act signed by Lyndon B. Johnson that gave aid to the Civil Rights ideals. This act was focused on ending more inequality within the voting process, specifically the literary tests which were used to prevent African Americans from voting. With the passing of this act, even more minority groups would have access to voting and thus have more access to government where their voices could be heard. -
Reed v Reed
This case was a critical one in determing rights for women. In it, the court determined that, when deciding ownership of property, the decision cannot be discriminatory based on gender. In other words, the position cannot be given to you just because you are a guy. This allowed for a case upholding equal protection in the United States, which can assist in future cases for women's rights and equality. -
Regents of the University of California v Bakke
This case was critical in restraining affirmative action programs. In it, a white man was kept from school because they were actively choosing more diverse students. The court ruled this unconstitutional, because the school was using race as the only factor of choice. This effectively said that they could not reverse-discriminate against a white man. While this could hold back some Civil Rights, it is important in that it kept minorties from becoming the oppressors they had fought. -
Equal Rights Amendment
This was a proposed amendment to the constitution of the United States that would allow for equal rights in federal, state, and local governments so that no position could be discriminated against on the basis of gender. This failed to be passed by this day, the deadline, and thus led to a setback in the Civil Rights efforts. -
Bowers v Hardwick
This was a key case in the rights of homosexuals. In it, the court claimed a State law prohibiting "certain acts" between homosexuals to be illegal, was constitutional. This put a stopper on the rights of homosexuals, but it was eventually overturned by the Supreme Court. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This act, signed by President Bush in 1990, is an important part of the history of Civil Rights. This act provides protections against discrimination against Americans who possess a disability, at least in certain circumstances. This served to help broaden the scope of Civil Rights from merely races and genders, to people who share a common feature, no matter what race or gender they are. -
Affirmative Action
On this day, Proposition 209 became law in California. This was to help put a block against Affirmative action. Affirmative action refers to preferential treatment given to formerly oppressed parties as a means of bringing them to a state of equality. Propisition 209 demonstrations how it can also be taken as reverse-discrimination. In other words, Affirmative Action can be seen as the ultimate failure of Civil Rights in that the oppressed and oppressor have switched roles. -
Lawrence v Texas
In this Civil Rights case, the Supreme Court overturned its ruling in Bowers v Hardwick. Thus, homosexual behavior could no longer be stopped by State Laws. This allowed for the widening and expanding efforts for Civil Rights on the part of homosexual parties.
