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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave in Missouri who resided to Illinois which is a free state. Slavery was not allowed in the Louisiana Territory, so when he returned to Missouri in 1843, he filed a suit in Missouri for freedom. He lost in court and his master said that no descendant of slaves could be a citizen -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment passed the Senate on April 8,1864 and passed the House on January 31, 1865. It was passed at the end of the Civil War before southern states were restored and could have easily passed the Congress. Even though it passed the Senate in 1864, it did not pass the House until 1865. With the 13th Amendment, the U.S finally found a solution to slavery. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868 and it gave citizenship to everyone born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves. This Amendment guaranteed everyone equal protection on the laws. It was one of the three amendments passed during the reconstruction era. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment made sure that states and communities weren't denying men the right to vote because of their race. This amendment had two sections. The first section said that "The right of citizens...to vote shall not be denied or abridged...on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." The second section gave the U.S Congress the power to enforcement through legislation. -
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White Primaries
White Primary was a way they would limit the the ability of letting African Americans vote. In the late 1920's, the supreme court looked over cases that involved the white primary and ruled that a state can not endorse the white primary. -
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Poll Taxes
Poll taxes were a way to keep African Americans from voting because the poll taxes were a voting fee. People were required to pay the poll tax before casting their vote. In 1964 when the 24th amendment was ratified, it prohibited poll taxes for federal elections. Five states still continued to use poll taxes but then the US Supreme Court declared them unconstitutional. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
Plessy vs. Ferguson was a milestone court case. This case decided that separate but equal' was okay in America, therefore upholding segregation. This prevented constitutional challenges to racial discrimination for a long time. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment let women have the right to vote, prohibiting any US citizen from being denied the right to vote because of sex. In 1919, the amendment was submitted to the states by congress and it was added in 1920. Because of the Seneca Falls Convention where the thought of women’s suffrage gained prominence, the amendment was drafted in 1878, 30 years after the convention. -
Brown v.Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was the case that unanimously decided that racial discrimination was unconstitutional in schools. Although this case was a milestone, it was still incredibly hard to get integration in schools due to many factors including fear, money, and also people would still discriminate regardless. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment prohibited the federal and state governments from imposing poll taxes before a citizen could participate in the federal election. During the Brown v Board of Education decision, some policies were seen as barriers to voting rights mostly for African Americans and the poor. That is why the 24th Amendment was proposed. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation in the public and banned discrimination in employment based on sex, race, color, religion, or national origin. This act was first proposed by John F Kennedy and was considered one of the best legislative achievements of the civil rights movement. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was made to overcome legal barriers at the local and state levels that prohibited African Americans from their right to vote. This act was signed into law by Lyndon B Johnson. It is considered to be "most far-reaching" pieces of civil rights legislation. -
Reed vs. Reed
Reed vs. Reed was the court case where the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that it was unconstitutional to make males be preferred to females in administration. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
In this case, Allan Bakke had applied to the University of California Medical School and was denied twice. The court ruled in his favor and upheld affirmative action. -
Bowers vs. Hardwick
In this case, Michael Hardwick was seen with another male in the bedroom of his home. The officer who saw reported it, and Hardwick took it to court. Once it got to the Supreme Court, Georgia's law was deemed unconstitutional. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act was a civil rights act that prevented any individual from being discriminated against because of their disability, whether mental or physical. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action is the idea that if two people have equal prerequisites for a job filling or for a spot in college, then the employer by law has to pick the minority. -
Lawrence Vs. Texas
in Lawrence vs. Texas, the Supreme Court decided a milestone case saying that laws against private homosexual activity were unconstitutional. -
Obergefell vs. Hodges
This milestone case decided that same sex marriage was legal in all 50 states and laws against it was unconstitutional.
