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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott after living in Illinois for 10 years argued he was now free after moving back to Missouri. When he brought this issue to court, the court ruled against him, as he was not technically a U.S. Citizen and did not have standing to sue. This also lead to the Missouri compromise being considered unconstitutional, furthering the chance of slaves being emancipated in the near future -
Ratification of the 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment made slavery or servitude illegal, except in the cases of capital punishment, where servitude with conviction is allowed. This is significant, as it was right after the civil war ended, so these new laws had to be applied to the rebelling slave states who had just conceded and rejoined the U.S. -
Ratification of the 14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment defined citizenship, and clarified that the bill of rights applies to all citizens of the U.S. This is significant towards black rights, as the definition of citizenship given applied to many former slaves, and gave them legal protection under the constitution -
Ratification of the 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment guarantees every man the right to vote, regardless of race, property ownership, or other factors. This gave black men the right to vote, giving them a voice to help gain more freedoms in the future. -
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Poll Taxes
Poll taxes were made to legally stop black voters in southern states, as they essentially meant voters had to pay to vote. This was excused for many poor whites through the grandfather clause, which said that those who had ancestors that voted before the civil war could vote without paying the tax. This essentially stopped any blacks from voting for many decades, as many were very poor and could not afford to pay the tax. -
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White Primaries
White primaries were elections where only white people were allowed to vote. These happened on and off until the voting rights act was passed. This blatantly racist policy completely silenced black votes and continued for far too long. A few supreme court cases came out of it, and most did not lead to any significant change. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy sat in a traincar for whites despite being one eighth black. this violated the Separate Car Act in Louisiana, and he was arrested. The supreme court ruled against Plessy, saying as long as the railcars remained within the state, this act was legal. This decision hurt the fight for equal rights in the south and justified legal segregation. -
Ratification of the 19th Amendment
The 19th amendment gave women the right to vote, greatly expanding those who could vote. This brought civil rights activists closer to their goal of true equality to people of all genders, races, religions, and ethnicities. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This court case asked if racially segregated schools were legal under the fourteenth amendment. the court ruled unanimously that the schools were not equal and in so violated the fourteenth. it was also argued that separate schools create a feeling of inferiority which damages the educational experience of African American children. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, sex, color, or national origin. This significant bill meant that blacks were no longer forced to use separate bathrooms, water fountains, and even stores, giving them access to a better quality of life than in the past. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act enforced the 15th Amendment, by outlawing many qualifications needed for voting in the south, like literacy tests, poll taxes, and harassment which black voters frequently encountered. This gave true strength to the right of blacks to vote, as they could do so without fear of intimidation or unfair requirements. -
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Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action is an idea that workforces and colleges must be diverse to an extent, and certain amounts of different ethnic groups must be met to allow other people in certain fields they may be disadvantaged from going into due to socioeconomic factors. -
Reed v. Reed
Two parents argued over their adopted son's estate and who would inherit it. It went to the father because of a clause in Idaho law that gives men preference in inheritance. This was challenged, and found in violations of the 14th amendment, as it clearly did not follow the equal protection clause. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The equal rights amendment was a proposed piece of legislation that prohibited the denial of equal rights to citizens on the basis of sex. This has been long pushed by women, originally thought of in 1923. It was proposed in 1972, but unfortunately never met the required vote by its expiration date in 1982. This would have been a large step towards equal rights, being the final step in amendments that guarantee all U.S. citizens the same legal protections. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Allan Bakke was rejected by the UC Medical school at Davis twice, and based on their affirmative action program, he had better qualifications than any of the minorities who had reserved spots, and felt he was being discriminated against. The court ruled in his favor, but for different reasons, with no one majority opinion. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Bowers v. Hardwick discussed the legality of consensual homosexual sodomy, and whether states could prohibit the act. The court sided that the states can choose the legality of this, as it has no legal protections under the constitution. This conservative leaning court restricted the rights of homosexuals to have consensual sex due to the fear of AIDS and the negative societal view on homosexuals. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This piece of legislation was passed in 1990, and prohibits the discrimination of those with disabilities in public life, including transportation, jobs, and building access. This brought joy to many with disabilities who have long had even more struggle due to unfair accommodations made towards their conditions. -
Lawrence v. Texas
Lawrence convicted of deviate sexual acts, but challenged Texas in court. The court favored Lawrence, and said states cannot have statutes that prohibit sexual interactions between two consenting adults. This brought the gay community one step closer to being fully accepted and protected in U.S. law -
Obergefell v. Hodges
In this case, it was asked if gay marriage must be legally recognized by states, or if it can be prohibited. The court in a split decision favored with Obergefell to allow gay marriage. This was a significant case and legalized gay marriage in the U.S., vastly expanding gay rights.
