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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Was a significant case in American history because the Supreme Court made the decision that American citizenship didn’t apply to African Americans. Whether enslaved or free meant they still didn’t deserve the same privileges because when Dred Scott sued the family he lost in court because he was black. -
13th Amendment
Was an added amendment to the constitution following the Civil War that said that involuntary solitude and slavery was not allowed unless for punishment of a crime. This was very significant for the United States because no one had taken action like this before. -
14th Amendment
Was ratified to our constitution shortly after the 13th Amendment and stated that every natural born citizen had the same equal civil and legal rights not based on the color of someone’s skin. It went on to include a lot of natural born rights, and also included many other citizens being discriminated for other reasons. -
15 Amendment
Was another bug amendment passed for civil rights that allowed all citizens the right to vote and couldn’t be infringed due to color, race, or previous accounts of servitude. -
Plessy vs Ferguson
this case created the “separate but equal” doctrine. The incident occurred in 1892 when Homer Plessy refuses to sit in a car for blacks claiming it violated his constitutional rights. The supreme court ruling justified “legal distinction” between blacks and whites, and Jim Crow laws were normalized soon after. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The amendment stated, “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex”. It was originally introduced to congress in 1923, and later approved by senate in 1972, but it wasn’t ratified by majority 38 state -
Brown vs Board of Education
The ruling of this cases concluded racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. It showed that the “separate but equal” clause was not equal based on evidence such as the doll test, which showed black children felt inferior to whites. -
Affirmative Action
Eliminate unlawful discrimination of applicants for education or professional jobs
Set by President Kennedy in 1961. "The contractor will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." -
24th Amendment
This amendment was significant because it abolished Congress and states from imposing poll taxes or tests to make sure we’re eligible to vote on citizens to stop them from voting which was a way to keep African Americans out of the voting booth. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act is landmark law and labor law that outlaws discrimination in the workplace and public places based on race, color, gender, religion, or national origin. That was a big movement in allowing African Americans the right to freedom. -
Civil Rights Act of 1965
This Law was a landmark act and voting law that banned racial discrimination in voting areas. Saying you can’t infringe on peoples right to vote because of the color of their skin which was important for the US because it increased their Black voting turn out by a lot. -
Reed vs Reed
Sally and Cecil reed adopted Richard Lynn reed. He committed suicide at 19 and died without a will. Both parents filed an application to be in charge of richards estate. Cecil was appointed administrator without considering the parents' deserving but in agreement with Idaho's mandatory probate code; “Of several persons claiming and equally entitled to administer, males must be preferred to females”. Supreme court ruled that the 14th amendment was applied to women’s rights. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
University of california reserved 16% of admissions to minority applicants as part of their affirmative action program. Allan Bakke filed “reverse discrimination” because he was white and got rejected twice. The supreme court ruled “strict racial quota were unconstitutional” and prohibited affirmative action be based be on race -
Bowers vs Hardwick
Hardwick was caught having homosexual relations when a police officer was executing a warrant for arrest. After he was arrested and sued he argued antisodomy laws violated his right to privacy. The supreme court ruled the constitution didn’t protect consensual gay sex -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The act prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. (jobs, schools, transportation, all public/ private places that are open to the general public) and guarantees equal opportunities as everyone else. -
Lawrence vs Texas
This case overturned bowers v hardwick, and dismantled texas laws that criminalized certain sexual conduct -
Obergefell vs Hodges
The supreme court ruled bans on same sex marriages are unconstitutional, declared the right to marry is protected by due process clause, and prohibited states from outlawing or not recognizing same sex marriages
