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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave in Missouri. From 1833 to 1843, he lived on in Illinois and in the Louisiana Territory, which were free states/territories. When Scott returned to Missouri, he filed a suit in Missouri court for his freedom. Dred Scott claimed that his residence in a free territory made him a free man. Scott lost the case and pursued a new suit in federal court. It was decided that one whose ancestors were imported and sold as slaves could not be an American citizen. -
13th Amendment
The 13th amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude due to the aftermath of the Civil War. An exception to the amendment was slavery could be used as a punishment in crime. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment granted citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to African Americans and slaves who had been emancipated. It included all those "born and naturalized in the United States" and slaves who were just granted freedom after the Civil War. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment prohibits the United States federal government and each state from denying a persons right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." It was made to prevent discrimination against black voters or other races. -
Poll Taxes
A poll tax was a fee required to cast a vote. It began in the 1890's as a way to keep African Americans from voting because they typically could not pay the fee. The "Grandfather Clause" was established as a way to allow poor whites who couldn't afford the tax to still be able to cast a vote. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was a decision that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public services. It was decided it was constitutional as long as the segregated facilities were "equal in quality". It became known as "separate but equal". -
White Primaries
White primaries were elections held in the South where only white voters were allowed to vote. It was used as a way to disenfranchise black and minorities and prevent them from voting. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote.It prohibits states and the federal governments from denying citizens the right to vote solely based on sex. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This case related to the segregation of public schools based on race. African American students had been denied admittance to certain public schools due to laws allowing public education to be segregated based on race. It was argued that these segregation violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. It was decided that separate but equal schools and educational facilities for black and minority students is unequal, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative action is a policy where an individual's color, race, sex, religion or national origin are taken into account in order to increase opportunities provided to underrepresented people of society. -
24th Amendment
The 24th amendment outlawed the poll tax or other types of taxing as a voting requirement in federal elections. The amendment was proposed by Congress on August 27, 1962 and was ratified on January 23, 1964 by the states. -
Civil Rights act of 1964
The Civil Rights act of 1964 ended segregation in public places and accommodations. It also banned employment discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, or sex. -
The Voting Rights of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 removed disenfranchisement against blacks attempting to vote in the South. It banned literacy tests and poll taxes that attempted to prevent blacks from voting or trying to decrease black voter turnout. -
Reed v. Reed
Sally and Cecil Reed's adopted son passed away and sought to be named the administrator of their son's estate. The Reed's were not together and Cecil ended up being appointed as the administrator of the estate. Sally challenged this in court due to the Idaho Probate Code, which says "males must be preferred to females" According to the Probate Code, Cecil was appointed administrator and Sally challenged the law in court.It was found to be unconstitutional due to the dissimilar treatment. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to guarantee equal legal rights for all Americans regardless of their sex. It sought to end the legal discrimination between men and women in matters of divorce, property, and employment. It argues for equal rights for men and women. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Allan Bakke, a white man, applied for admission to the University of California Medical School twice. He was rejected both times. The school reserved 16 places in each class of one hundred for "qualified" minorities, as part of the university's affirmative action program. Bakke's qualifications exceeded those of any of the minority students admitted in the years Bakke's applications were rejected. Bakke argued that he was excluded from admission solely based on race. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Michael Hardwick was observed by a Georgia police officer while engaging in the act of consensual homosexual activities in his own home. He was charged for violating a Georgia statute against sodomy and Hardwick challenged the statute's constitutionality. The court dismissed it and on appeal,the Court of Appeals decided that Georgia's statute was unconstitutional. However, the Supreme Court ruled that there was no constitutional protections against sodomy. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and access to state and public services. As it relates to employment, The ADA protects the rights of both employees and job seekers. -
Lawrence v. Texas
Houston police entered John Lawrence's apartment and saw him and another man engaging in a private sexual act. Lawrence was arrested and convicted of deviate sexual intercourse in violation of a Texas statute which forbid two people of the same sex to engage in sexual conduct. The State Court of Appeals held that the statute was not unconstitutional under the Due Process Clause of the 14th amendment. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
A civil rights case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
