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13th Amendment
The 13th amendment abolished slavery. It was not until this amendment was it official that slaves were free following Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. However, the 13th amendment influenced the beginnings of things such as Black Codes and other discriminatory issues. -
14th Amendment
The fourteenth amendment enforced equal protection under the law. This was later enforced by cases such as Yick Wo v. Hopkins. All persons will have equal protection, NOT all citizens. -
15th Amendment
The fourteenth amendment prohibited the government from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude". However, this law did not allow women to vote yet. Women's rights remained an issue. Allowing all men to vote brought up things such as literacy tests and poll taxes. -
Jim Crow
The Jim Crow era lasted from 1877 until 1933. This era was filled with the growth of racial segregation laws. These laws became known as Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow surfaced when a man performed as a charicature of a white man in black face. -
Literacy Tests
From the 1890s to the 1960s, literacy tests were made nearly impossible to pass. These tests were used to make suffrage for African-Americans nearly impossible. Other countries have used it to deal with immigration. Southern states abandoned the literacy tests only when forced to by the federal government. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
On June 7th 1892, Homer Plessy was jailed because he sat in a white-only car on the train. Though he could pass as a white man, legally he was considered a light skinned black man and required to sit in the black car. The "seperate but equal" doctrine passed in 1896. -
Poll Taxes
Poll taxes had previously been used but did not become popular until 1908 when every southern state had enforced them. Poll taxes arose during the Jim Crow era. The case of Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections ruled that poll taxes violated the Equal Protection Clause found under the fourteenth amendment. -
19th Amendment
The nineteenth amendment states that no citizen may be denied the right to vote based on sex. Women were now allowed to vote and started the (still continuing) path to equality. Women's suffrage was fought nationally and was not granted right away. -
Korematsu v United States
Roosevelt said that anyone falling under Japanese ancestry must be moved to internment camps to live during World War II. Korematsu avoided being placed in the internment camp and eventually sued that the ruling wasn't constitutional. Unfortunately, he lost. -
Sweatt v. Painter
He was denied enrollment into law school because he was black , and he was offered the change to go to the black law school. Knowing that both the schools were not equal, he sued. This case led to racial segregation in school. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This case led to integration through schools ruling that the ruling from Plessy v. Ferguson was not working because “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was an event that lasted for nearly a month. It was sparked by Rosa Parks when she was removed from her seat on a public bus. The boycott was a social and political protest for the unfair treatment of blacks. It was not until 20 Dec 1956 that the case of Browder v. Gayle stated that Montgomery's segregation laws were unconstitutional. -
Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges is known for being the first black child to attend an all-white elementary school in the South. Five other children were granted the right to attend this all-white school based on a test they took in the spring of 1960. Ruby's admission to the school caused white parents to pull their children out of school. -
Affirmative Action
"An action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, especially in relation to employment or education; positive discrimination." Affirmative action was used to fight racial discrimination in the hiring process. This would also ensure that employees are not treated based upon their race during employment. -
24th Amendment
The twenty-fourth amendment prohibits conditioning the ability to vote by using poll taxes or any other taxes. Poll taxes were found unconstitutional because they violated the Equal Protection Clause of the fourteenth amendment. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is one of the most important legislations regarding the civil rights movement. It no longer allowed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a strong piece of legislature that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. The act allowed for mass enfranchisement of minority races especially in the South. The Act is later revised many times to expand its protection. -
Loving v Virginia
The interracial couple got married in another state and then later returned to virginia and were arrested for interracial marraige. They plead guilty and were forced to leave the state. The couple sued and won. The law was struck down. -
Robert Kennedy Speech in Indianapolis upon death of MLK
Upon the assassination of Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy proceeded to present a speech despite the possibility of riots and loss of his safety during his campaign. This speech asked for peace and has been noted as one of the greatest public addresses in this era. -
Reed v. Reed
After the death of their son, both wanted to be appointed administrators of their son's estate. Idaho specified that men should be chosen over women. So the man won. In court, they ultimately decided that the law separating them was unconstitional. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was designed to provide equal rights for women. This amendment unfortunately took a very long time to be passed. It was originally introduced in 1923. This led to the spread of feminism in an effort to show support for the Equal Rights Amendment. -
Regents of the University Of California v. Bakke
Bakke sued the meical school because his denial of admission on racial grounds was a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. -
Bowers v Harwick
This case ruled that the constitution does not protect homosexuals. The case began by police wanting to arrest Harwick and searched his house for him. They ended up walking in on him engaging in oral sex with a male partner. They arrested him for engaging in sexual activity with someone of the same gender. -
Americans with Disabilites Act
This civil rights law prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. The act encompasses both mental and physical medical issues. It asks that employers also accomodate to those with disabilities. The Equal Employment Opporunity Commission holds a list of conditions that apply to the ADA. -
Lawrence v Texas
Police found the two men engaging in sexual activities and arrested them. They appealed saying that it is unconstitutional under the equal protection clause. They ended up saying the homosexuality act was unconstitutional. -
Fisher v Texas
Fisher questioned a school on the undergraduate admissions proccess. She argued that the university of texas was using race to determine their acceptance. she lost. -
Indiana Gay Rights
Indiana recognized a same sex marraige because a lady has cancer. But the battle still continues.
