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Dred Scott V. Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave in 1833 to 1843. In 1856 he would sue in Missouri court saying that since he had lived in a free state that he was a free man. The court did not rule in his favor and he then sued in federal court but they court based their decision on Missouri law. He appealed to the Supreme Court and they later ruled that word citizens in the constitution did not apply to enslaved descent he therefore had no right to sue in the first place -
13th amendment
The 13th amendment says that slavery can not exist in the united states except as punishment for a crime. This was a big deal for slaves of the united states and allowed them all to be freed and pursue a life in the country. This is not to say that racism ended with this, but this opened the door for equality to exist between everyone. -
14th Amendment
This gave African Americans rights that had not been given yet such as citizenship, "equal" rights and legal rights.This was a big step for our country and allowing people to actually be a citizen, but oppression still existed among the African American community. In more forward states this meant the African American's could now pursue life long careers and raise a family in a country that finally recognize them as citizens. -
15th amendment
The 15th amendment allow African Americans to vote in elections. This was a big step towards racial equality among the states and for the country as a whole. This way good step by the federal government to create a equal country, but southern states did not like this change very much and begun to find ways for them to work around the newly ratified amendment. -
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Poll taxes
Poll taxes were used to stop people of color from voting because they generally could not afford to pay for the tax to actually vote even though it had become their constitutional right to vote. It was used in a large majority of the previous Confederate states and was used until it was stopped by th voting rights act of 1965. -
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White Primaries
These were a form of primary elections held in response to allowing African Americans to vote which made primary elections only available to white Americans. It was another way previous confederate states would attempt to deny people of color in participating in any voting of any kind. -
Plessy V. Ferguson
This was lapse in the civil rights era which allowed segregated public facilities to stand as long as they were of the same quality. Many were outraged by this decision because a lot of the public facilities were not to the same standard and it is seen to day as a mistake on the supreme courts part on allowing this kind of thing to stand. From this case stemmed the phrase separate but equal. -
19th amendment
No citizen could be denied the right to vote based on their sex. This was passed during the heat of suffrage movement and was a large topic of debate whether women should vote or not. The passing of it finally meant the any US citizen would be able to vote legally. Prior to the passing protest went on for much time to try and get the right for women to vote, but finally it was passed in 1920. -
Brown V Board of Education
This was a prior overturn from the Plessy V Ferguson case which made it so that whether or not schools were equal they could not be segregated and thus making any that are unconstitutional. This was big change for the education system and would mean the disenfranchised groups would have access to a better education and even could seek a better higher education. -
24th Amendment
The 24th amendment was passed to stop states from denying voting because of a tax or any other form of taxing. This coming 94 years after the 15th amendment passed allowing people of color to vote in elections. This impacted a lot of southern states that did not like the idea of someone of color voting in elections to begin with, and it marked another step towards equality for all. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This Act is massive success for the civil rights movement and is a big reason for equality in the workplace and in the overall country. This banned discrimination based on color, race, sex, nationality, and religion. It forced schools to allow all kinds of students, it did not allow the unjust treatment or firing of someone of color in the workplace, and made any other ordinary task or building allow anyone to have access despite what the looked like or their gender. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act was the law to enforce no racial discrimination in voting. It was made to enforce the 14th and 15th amendment that were created over 95 years prior to this. It has been reworked to expand the protections of the rule, but when it passed it was large victory for the civil rights movement because voting polls could no longer get away with discriminating people because of the color of their skin. -
Reed V Reed
This case was between a married couple who both wanted administer their son's estate and the Idaho law at the time said men would be chosen over women. The court made a unanimous decision that was against the 14th amendment and could not stand therefore making it illegal to chose estate administration based on gender of the parties. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The ERA was passed to provide equal legal rights to all the citizens of the states regardless of sex. It would allow women to be held as equals in court, divorce, and employment. Coming some 50 years after the women were granted the right to vote it was still a big win for equality across the board and it was finally allowing women to work jobs that they prior could not get because of their gender. -
Regents of the University of California V Bakke
This established the use of affirmative action which means that a university can accept more minority applications. A man who applied to University of California but was denied two times. The school holds 16 spots for qualified minorities even though his test scores and GPA exceed that of the 32 minorities accepted both years he applied. This is decision the some find unfair or not right, but has put a limit on how schools can choose between minorities and other candidates. -
Affirmative action
Policies that support groups that have been previously discriminated against such as work and education. This a large topic of debate because some feel that it is form of discrimination while others feel that it is nothing more than way to have better population diversity. It was first brought up during the Regents of the University of California V Bakke and was upheld in the supreme court. -
Bowers V Hardwick
A court ruling over sodomy but more specifcally that in the case of two men par taking in sodomy. The court ruled that states could ban practices such as sodomy which meant that it was banning homosexual sex. The case split 5 to 4 but was later over turned in 2003. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The ADA was passed to end discrimination on people based on their disabilities and it protects them in the work place, and transportation. This also granted them public accommodations and programs and services to help. During a period of extreme cruelty people were being forced out of places because of their disabilities or were not given a way for them to access them in the first place the ADA put a stop to it and another step towards equality for all. -
Lawrence V Texas
This was the case that would finally overturn the ruling from the 1986 case Bower V Hardwick. This case ruled that prohibiting any form of homosexual activity between to consenting adults now unconstitutional. This case was big victory in the terms of the gay community and equality for everyone. -
Obergefell V Hodges
This is been one of the biggest cases in our generations lifetime. It made the prohibition of gay marriage unconstitutional. It allowed people who had wanted to be married but were denied because of their orientation to finally receive the justice and equality that they deserve.
