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Dred Scott v. Sandford 1857
Dred Scott was a slave in Missouri. From 1833 to 1843 he lived in Illinois (a Free State) and the Louisiana Territory, where slavery was outlawed by the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Upon his return to Missouri, Scott filed a lawsuit in the Missouri court over his freedom, claiming his being in the free territory made him a free man. After his defeat, Scott filed a new lawsuit in federal court. -
13th Amendment 1865
The thirteenth amendment, passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864; and ratified by the States on December 6, 1865, abolished slavery "within the United States or in any place under its jurisdiction. Congress asked the former Confederate states to ratify the thirteenth amendment as a requirement for regaining federal representation. -
14th Amendment 1868
The fourteenth amendment granted citizenship to all "born or naturalized" persons, including those who were formerly enslaved, and "equal legal protection" to all citizens, extending the provisions of the Bill of Rights. It also authorized the government to punish states that restrict citizens' voting rights by reducing their representation in Congress. -
15th Amendment 1870
The 15th Amendment, which went into effect in 1870, appeared to be the fulfillment of all promises made to African Americans. The social and economic segregation contributed to the loss of political power for African Americans. “The 15th Amendment, which went into effect in 1870, appeared to be the fulfillment of all promises made to African Americans. The social and economic segregation contributed to the loss of political power for African Americans” -
Plessy v. Ferguson 1896
Homer Plessy, who was seven-eighths Caucasian, agreed to participate in a test to challenge the law. Plessy, who technically According to Louisiana law, black to sit in an "only white" car on a Louisiana train. When Plessy was asked to clear the all-white car, he refused and was arrested. The Supreme Court ruling, in this case, upheld Louisiana law that allowed "equal but separate accommodations for white and colored races". -
Nineteenth Amendment 1920
The nineteenth amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the United States and States from denying the right to vote against citizens on the basis of gender, effectively recognizing the right for women to vote. -
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Brown v. Board of Education 1952-1954
This case involves multiple other cases for other states. In each case, African American students have been denied admission to certain public schools based on laws that allowed public education to be segregated by race. They argued that such a separation violated the equality clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The court ruled that it did indeed violate the 14th amendment. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin. The provisions of this Civil Rights Act prohibit gender and racial discrimination in recruitment, promotion, and firing. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned discriminatory voting practices used in many southern states after the civil war, including literacy tests as a requirement for voting. This "Law Enforcing the 15th Amendment to the Constitution" became law 95 years after the amendment was ratified. -
Reed v. Reed 1971
An Idaho Probate Code stated that "males must be preferred to females" when appointing estate administrators. After the death of their adopted son, both Sally and Cecil Reed attempted to be appointed the administrator of their child’s estate (the Reeds separated). Under the Probate Code, Cecil was made administrator and Sally challenged the law in court. The court ruled that the administrators of estates cannot be named in a way that discriminates between sexes. -
Title IX 1972
Title IX is a federal civil rights law that was passed as part of the Education Changes in 1972. This law protected people from gender discrimination in educational programs or activities that receive federal funding. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke 1978
Allan Bakke, a 35-year-old white man, had twice applied for admission to the University of California's Davis School of Medicine. Bakkes 'grades (college GPA and test scores) exceeded those of minority students admitted in the two years and both of Bakkes' applications were rejected. The U.S. Supreme Court declared affirmative action constitutional but invalidated the use of racial quotas. -
Americans with Disabilities Act 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in a variety of areas, including employment, transportation, public facilities, communications, and access to state and local government programs and services. Title I protects the rights of workers and applicants. It also sets requirements for telecommunications relay services. Title IV, it also requires captions on federally funded public notices. -
Obergefell v. Hodges 2015
Challenged the constitutionality on state bans on same-sex marriage or refusal to recognize legal same-sex marriages. the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5–4 decision that the Fourteenth Amendment requires all states to grant same-sex marriages and recognize same-sex marriages granted in other states and no exclusion.