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Dred Scott v. Sanford
Dred Scott was a slave in Missouri who had lived for ten years in a free state. He filed a lawsuit for his freedom, but then the Supreme Court ruled that he was property, could not be an American citizen, and could not sue in federal court. They also held that moving to a free state did not mean that Scott was emancipated. -
13th Amendment
With this amendment to the Constitution, slavery is finally abolished in the U.S. This was a monumental change that came out of the effects of the Civil War. However, life for most former slaves hardly improved after the ratification of this amendment because they were very poor and had few rights. -
14th Amendment
This amendment grants citizenship to everyone born in the U.S., including former slaves who had just recently been freed by the 13th Amendment. It became known as the “Reconstruction Amendment,” and incorporates some of the equal protections of law from the Constitution to the states. -
15th Amendment
This amendment granted the right to vote to African American men. This signified the fulfillment of all promises made to African Americans (at least the men) post-Civil War. This was really only the beginning of a long struggle for African Americans to begin participating in American public and civil life. -
Poll Taxes
These began in the 1890s as a way to legally keep African Americans from voting. They were essentially a voting fee that eligible voters were required to pay before they were able to cast a ballot. There was a loop hole for whites, but not for African Americans. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
After being put on trial for riding in a whites-only railroad car as a man of color, Plessy argued that the Separate Car Act violated the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court held that this act was constitutional, and that segregation (the separate but equal doctrine) was not unlawful discrimination. -
White Primaries
These occurred when primary elections were held in which only white voters were allowed to vote. They were legally established in eight southern states as a way to discriminate against black and minority voters, along with raised barriers to voter registration. -
19th Amendment
This amendment finally granted women the right to vote, after a long and grueling struggle filled with agitation and protest. After lecturing, writing, marching, lobbying, and practicing civil disobedience for generations, women were finally granted this important right. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This case was seen as a consolidation of many cases arising in various states about the segregation of public schools. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Brown et al., arguing that separate but equal schools are inherently unequal, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. -
24th Amendment
This amendment prohibited any poll taxes in federal elections. This was very important because prior to this amendment many people who had the right to vote were unable to vote simply because they could not afford the fees placed on the polls. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act prohibited discrimination in public places, established integration of public schools, and prohibited employment discrimination. This act, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson, was the most significant civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act, signed into law by President Johnson, outlawed the discriminatory voting practices that had become common in many southern states after the Civil War. This included literacy tests, harassment, intimidation, economic reprisals, and physical violence when registering to vote. -
Affirmative Action
This is the policy of promoting employment and education for those that have previously been discriminated against, especially racial minorities and women. The first federal policy of this was implemented in 1969, and continued through the 2000s. -
Reed v. Reed
A woman challenged a law in court that gave preference to males over females when appointing the administrators of estates. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that this law was unconstitutional, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. -
Equal Rights Amendment
This amendment aimed to establish legal equality of the sexes and prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex. It was first proposed in 1923 by the National Women’s political party and took almost 50 years to become approved and ratified. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Bakke, a white man, sued the University of California for denying him admission because they reserved spots specifically for racial minorities, even though his credentials were better than those of the people they admitted. The Supreme Court held that he had a cause of action, but retained no majority opinion. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
This case answered the question of whether or not the Constitution provides a fundamental right for homosexuals to engage in consensual sodomy, and a divided Supreme Court decided that the Constitution did not protect this right. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This act prohibits discrimination of those with disabilities in all public places, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all places open to the general public. It gives civil rights protections and equal opportunities to all individuals with disabilities. -
Lawrence v. Texas
This decision overruled the Bowers v. Hardwick decision, deciding that a state could not make it a crime for two people of the same sex to engage in sexual conduct because it violated the Due Process Clause. The Court held that their right to liberty gave them the right to engage in their conduct without government intervention.
