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Dred Scott v. Sandford
In the ruling Dred Scott V Sandford, the court ruled (7-2) that Scott was not entitled to his freedom because he was a slave, even though he lived in a free state. The court ruling brought the country closer to civil war. African-Americans were not considered citizens. -
13th Amendment
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. -
14th Amendment
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." -
15th Amendment
"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." This includes African-American -
Poll Taxes
Before January 23, 1964, American citizens had to pay a fee to vote. That fee was called a poll tax. It all began in the 1890's to prevent African-Americans from voting in the southern states but eventually in some states, everyone had to pay the fee. The 24th amendment prohibits both congress and the states from enforcing a poll tax because voting is a right -
White Primaries
White Primaries started in 1896 in South Carolina. They were elections held in the Southern states in which only white voters were allowed to vote. This limited African-American's political influence. In the court case Smith v. Allwright in 1944, the Supreme Court ruled to overturn the Texas state law allowing white primaries. It was a landmark decision saying that white primaries violated the 15th amendment which led to the end of white primaries across the United States. -
Plessy vs Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson, was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities as long as the segregated facilities were equal in quality – a doctrine that came to be known as "separate but equal" . this case paved the way and made it so people would have to change the way they thought of African Americans and accepted them as people. -
19th Amendment
Provided men and women equal rights to vote. The amendment states that the right to vote to vote "shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any States on account of sex" -
Brown V. Board of Education
in the case of Brown V. Board of education Threw out racial segregation in the public school system when the supreme court ruled that it was unconstitutional and further advanced the precedent "Separate but equal" even though this did get passed and the black kids joined the white kids it wasn't easy with constant bullying and targeted harassment -
Affirmative action
Affirmative action is is a policy used by colleges and universities to improve the educational opportunities for minority groups (including minority races, genders, and sexual orientations) that are commonly and historically discriminated against. -
24th Amendment
"The 24th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America abolished the poll tax for all federal elections." -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It ended segregation in public places and is one of the greatest achievement in the civil rights movement. President John F. Kennedy first proposed the legislation and eventually signed by Lyndon B. Johnson. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed discriminatory voting in the southern states and outlawed literacy tests. The law guaranteed no one could be denied to vote based on his/her race or color. The law was signed by President Lyndon Johnson -
Equal Rights amendment
"The Equal Rights Amendment was passed by Congress on March 22, 1972 and sent to the states for ratification. In order to be added to the Constitution, it needed approval by legislatures in three-fourths (38) of the 50 states. By 1977, the legislatures of 35 states had approved the amendment." this impacted the people at the time because it was no longer legal to openly mistreat women and you would be reprimanded if caught doing so -
Reed v Reed
Reed v Reed was a case that took on the topic of not racial discrimination but Gender Equality and Gender discrimination. in this case it was ruled that the administrators of estates cannot be named in a way that discriminates between sexes. and it was unanimously decided on the basis of the equal protection clause -
regents of the university of california v. bakke
in the case of Bakke vs Uni of cal Allan Bakke, a thirty-five-year-old white man, had twice applied for admission to the University of California Medical School at Davis. He was rejected both times. Bakke's qualifications exceeded those of any of the minority students admitted in the two years Bakke's applications were rejected this was taken to the supreme court on the basis of race and was decided with a 8 to 1 decision for Bakke. although there was no majority opinion. -
Bowers V. Hardwick
After being charged with violating the Georgia statute criminalizing sodomy by committing that act with another adult male in the bedroom of his home, Hardwick took it to the supreme court resulting in a 5 -4 ruling banning sodomy which was overturned 17 years later -
Americans with disabilites act
The ADA was a federal admin passed in the 1990s that outlawed the discrimination of people with disabilities and made it that any government org cant discriminate someone just cause of there disability. this also made it so people with disability can do all things in public life such as go to school transportation etc. -
Lawrence v. texas
Responding to a reported weapons disturbance in a private residence, Houston police entered John Lawrence's apartment and saw him and another adult man, Tyron Garner, engaging in a private, consensual sexual act. this broke Texas law and both were arrested. then it was brought to the supreme court with a ruling of 6 - 3 favoring Lawrence because Lawrence and Garner were free as adults to engage in the private conduct in the exercise of their liberty under the Due Process Clause. -
Obergefell V. Hodges
Obergefell V. Hodges held that the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry, and that States must recognize same-sex marriages validly performed out of state. The case followed divided state and federal legislative actions and judicial decisions on the issue of same-sex marriage.
