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Dred Scott v. Sandford
The dred scott case was one of the first major supreme court cases dealing with the freeing of slaves. The decision established that slaves were "property" and therefore could not become citizens. It also said that any attempts to free slaves from their masters was depriving them of their property rights. This set up the tensions between the north and south over how to deal with slaves as citizens. -
13th Amendment
The 13th amendment abolished slavery within the U.S. Although it made great strides in serving to free enslaved people, it was quickly challenged by people in the south who sought to continue to deprive formerly enslaved peoples' of their rights. It was therefore quickly followed by more amendments aimed at further protecting the rights of African Americans. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment was passed to try and fix the problems contained in the 13th amendment by guaranteeing formerly enslaved peoples' citizenship. It also said that people may not be denied legal protections without the due process of law, no matter their race. This amendment, although beneficial, still was limited in its capacity as many African Americans were denied the right to vote. Nevertheless, it provided the right to citizenship to all, no matter their race. -
Poll Taxes
Poll Taxes required that people pay a certain sum of money before they could vote in an election. These were often implemented by southern states after reconstruction as a way to "legally" restrict African Americans from voting. This was a major restriction on the voting rights of people. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment was passed to give voting rights to all male citizens within the U.S., no matter their race. This amendment was passed in order to try and promote equal representation of all men; however, it was limited in its ability as many poll taxes and other restrictions were passed to limit the rights of African Americans to vote. -
White Primaries
White primaries were elections held in southern states in which only white voters could participate. This greatly limited the civil rights of people of color as they were unable to have a say in who they wanted on the ballot in the general elections. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy versus Ferguson legalized the idea of separate but equal for people, allowing for the segregation of society based upon skin color. This greatly restricted civil rights as people of color were often forced into lower places in buildings as a form of "legalized" segregation. This was overturned in a later case. -
19th Amendment
The 19th amendment gave women the right to vote for the first time in American history. Prior to this, women were not guaranteed the right to vote in federal elections. This greatly expanded civil rights as it opened up the door for women to have a say in government. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown versus the Board of Education overturned the ruling in Plessy V. Ferguson. They argued that separation of people by race goes against the 14th amendments equal protections clause and therefore should not be allowed. This expanded civil rights by allowing all people to be equal, no matter their skin color. -
24th Amendment
The 24th amendment was passed to further prevent blocks to the votes of people, specifically with regards to poll taxes. The 24th amendment stated that the right to vote could not be limited by a failure to pay poll taxes, effectively limiting one major way in which voting rights of African Americans had been restricted. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The civil rights act of 1964 prohibited the discrimination of people on the basis of race, religion, national origin, or sex. This law helped to protect the rights of all people in the workplace and in the regular economy as they could no longer be restricted from doing things according to their race. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The voting rights act banned the restrictions placed on voting rights in many southern states, such as literacy tests. This served to protect the right to vote for all people, especially african Americans. -
Reed v. Reed
The Reed versus Reed case was over an Idaho law that said men will be preferred when determining inheritance of an estate. In the decision the court argued that the dissimilar treatment of men and women violated the 14th amendment and therefore Idaho's law was unconstitutional. This expanded civil rights by allowing women more protections and equal treatment. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The equal rights amendment was a proposed amendment that would have given women equal rights to men under law. The amendment was signed by almost all of the required states; however, opposition by conservative women stalled efforts to pass it, leading it to fail. This would have expanded civil rights by viewing men and women as equals. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
The University of California passed a requirement that a certain number of incoming students be african american, even if they had lower qualifications. Bakke was therefore rejected even with higher test scores. The court ruled that racial quotas are not allowed and that Bakke should be admitted. This protected civil rights by banning the use of racial quotas in college admissions. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Bowers versus Hardwick was a case over the fact that Bowers had participated in consensual homosexual sex. The supreme court ruled that state laws could prohibit sexual activities between people of the same sex as it was not protected in the constitution. This restricted the civil rights of homosexual people to privacy and the freedom to do as they wish. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The americans with disabilities act provided equal protection for people who suffer from physical and mental disabilities. This included many requirements for buildings and workplaces to be friendly to those with physical disabilities and for employers to limit discrimination based on these traits. It expanded civil rights by protecting people with disabilities. -
Motor Voter Act
The Motor Voter Act(National Voter Registration Act) said that states must provide a simplified process for voter registration along with the federal government giving free post mail to states with regards to voter cards. The law got its name from the fact that states were required to offer voter registration when people applied for their license. The law expanded civil rights by further opening up access to voting for all people. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative action is policies put in place by the government to promote diversity and restrict exclusion of people based upon sex, race, orientation and national origin. This constitutes multiple laws and amendments aimed at increasing diversity, especially in education and the workforce. These actions increase civil rights by encouraging people to have more diversity and hire everyone, no matter their race. -
Lawrence v. Texas
The case dealt with a similar issue to the Bowers case, just that it was in a different state. In the case, the court overturned the Bowers decision and held that the ability for people to engage in consensual sex is protected. The increased the civil rights of same sex couples, specifically with regards to the ability to do whatever they want in the privacy of their homes. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Numerous groups sued the states for not legally recognizing same sex couples in marriage. In the case the court ruled that marriage is a legal institution that should be offered to all couples, no matter the type. This increased civil rights by ensuring same sex couples could be legally wed.
