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Dred Scott v. Sanford
This opinion set a precedent that salves were NOT citizens of the US meaning that they could not sue in the courts -
13th amendment
The 13th amendment finally abolished slavery in the US "Neither Slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the US, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." -
14th amendment
due process "No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the US; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within it's jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." -
15th amendment
The 15th amendment guaranteed black men to vote, shortly after they had the ability to run for office in addition to voting when possible. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v Ferguson was a landmark case that upheld segregation legally under the "separate but equal" doctrine. This branched from an event on a train in which Homer Plessy refused to sit in a car designated for black people, the sc ruled that a legal distinction between black and white people was constitutional- resulting in Jim Crow -
white primaries
The white primaries were to strengthen the exclusion of minorities in the political system. Texas, Georgia and other southern states est these a selective system that permitted only whites to vote in the primaries -
19th amendment
this amendment granted women the right to vote although it was not truly put into place and required decades of continuous protest and political unrest. -
brown v board of edu
in this landmark, the sc ruled that separating children in public schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional. It signaled the end of legalized racial segregation in US schools, overruling plessy v ferguson and separate but equal. Even though it took a lot to enforce and made many whites very mad leading to situations like little rock -
24th amendment
The right for US citizens to vote in primaries and other elections shall not be denied or abridged by the US or any state by reason of failure to pay any poll tax etc (ex felons etc.) -
civil rights act
outlawed discriminatory voting practices adopted n many southern states after the civil war, including literacy tests as a prereq to voting. The "act to enforce the 15th amendment to the constitution" was signed into law 95 years after the amendment was ratified. -
Poll taxes
A poll tax is a tax on the voting polls without taking into account income or resources. This was an important source of money for many government types until the 1900's- prevented voting rights -
Affirmative Action
reduces discrimination in employment and educational places. Colleges, workplaces and schools could take race and ethnicity into account in an effort to diversify the US. -
Voting rights act
After peaceful civil rights protests, President Johnson passed a federal voting rights act to ensure voting rights could not be impeded on any level-specifically race but not sex -
Equal Rights Amendment
This amendment was needed even after the 19th to secure full equality for women. It covers a span of previously sexist events such as legal endings of relationships in the terms of divorce, property, employment, etc. -
Regents of U of Cali v Bakke
In this case, the court ruled against the U of Cali in their previous means to diversify the school in having a set number of spots for minorities. When a qualified white male was denied admission to school they ruled their actions through affirmative action violated the equal protection clause and civil rights act -
Bower v Hardwick
Ruled a Georgia law made to prevent sexual activity of those of the same sex was unconstitutional-sodomy. -
Americans with disabilites act
The ADA is a federal civil rights act that prohibits discrimination against Americans with disabilities in everyday activities. This act guarantees that people with disabilities would then on have equal opportunities as everyone -
Motor Voter Act
This act enhances voting opportunities for every American, the goal was to make it easier for all Americans to register and maintain that registration to vote. -
Lawrence v Texas
Landmark for the LBGTQ community. Banned criminal punishment for consensual, adult non-procreative sexual activity. -
Obergefell v Hodges
The US supreme court ruled ALL same sex couples are guaranteed the right to marry as of June 2015. -
Reed v Reed
The first time the court applied the equal protection clause (14th amnd) to strike down a law that discriminated against women when fighting custody of a dead persons estate.