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13th Amendment
This was ratified by the required amount of states in 1865. This amendment to the constitution abolished slavery and servitude, unless detained for a crime. This came after Abraham Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation, which technically freed slaves but did not guarantee them freedom under any sort of law. This took away the protection of slavery from the 3/5ths compromise. -
14th Amendment
One of the Reconstruction Amendments, the Fourteenth Amendment deals with citizenship rights and equal protection of laws. It was a hotly debated addition, as the South did not want to ratify it, given what had just occurred with the American Civil War. In order to regain representation in Congress, the South had to ratify the amendment. It includes multiple clauses, including the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause, which has been used quite frequently, especially in the case of -
15th Amendment
This was ratified by the required number of states in 1870. This amendment to the constitution insures that everyone has the right to vote. It prohibits any type of government from denying any citizen, regardless of their race, from denying someone from voting. It was known as the third and final reconstruction amendment. -
Jim Crow Laws
These Jim Crow laws began in 1890 after the reconstruction period. They created a separate but equal rule for all black citizens. Though considered in the law as “equal”, black individuals had far worse conditions in their separate facilities. This created segregated waiting rooms, restaurants, bathrooms, schools, and so on. The laws lasted until 1965. -
Literacy Tests
This was a method used by governments to deter African Americans from voting. These tests were incredibly difficult and because of the lack of good education for minorities, they were almost impossible to pass if you were black. You could be exempt from the tests if one of your ancestors had voted, which meant all white people were exempt but none of the African Americans were because their ancestors had never been allowed to vote. -
Poll Taxes
In many states in the US, a poll tax was a prerequisite to voting in elections. In an attempt to further marginalize the black population in the South, poll taxes were often paired with nearly impossible literacy tests; consequently, many black people were not eligible to vote per the southern government’s standards. Some states even required citizens to pay the tax in advance and bring the receipt with them to the election, but if the receipt could not be located, that person could not vote. Po -
Plessy V. Ferguson
This landmark case resulted in the court deciding to uphold the “separate but equal” laws. A 7-1 decision determined that these laws were constitutional in 1896. It allowed state-sponsored segregation of schools and other public places. It remained constitutional until the year 1954. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment prohibits anyone from being denied the right to vote based on sex. After the long and hard-fought battle for women’s suffrage, Congress finally ratified the amendment. With the combined efforts of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Seneca Falls Convention, the movement for women’s suffrage was a subject of heated discussion for many years prior to the ratification of the 19th amendment. -
Korematsu V. United States
This court case from 1944 concerned that constitutionality of Executive Order 9066. This order sent Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II. In a 6-3 decision in support of the government, the Executive Order was determined constitutional. This has not yet been overturned explicitly. -
Sweatt v. Painter
Sweatt v. Painter was one of the first cases to successfully challenge the idea of “separate but equal” precedent put in place by Plessey v. Ferguson. It involved a black student who was denied admission to the School of Law at the University of Texas simply because he was black. The case eventually reached the United States Supreme Court, who decided that black students should be considered for admission just as equally as white students. -
Brown V. Board of Education
This was a court case that determined that segregated black and white public schools are unconstitutional. It largely overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of state-sponsored segregation. It was decided by the court in 1954. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social movement against the oppressive racial segregation of the bus system in the south during the civil rights era. It was at this time that Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat to a white man, even while she was seated in the white only section of the bus. Eventually, through the protest, Congress ruled the segregation of the public transit system unconstitutional, thus allowing for integration in the South. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment prohibits requiring a poll tax for voters in federal elections. It is claimed that requiring a federal poll tax violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment. The Southern states during the 1960s had adopted poll taxes in an attempt to shut out black voters from elections; the poor were especially affected by the tax, as it proved difficult to pay. The amendment was proposed by Congress on August 27, 1962, but was not ratified until 1964. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. This integrated all public facilities, including hotels, restaurants, theaters, and other public facilities that were associated with interstate commerce. Additionally, it encouraged the desegregation of public schools. While there act was met with significant resistance from many southern white men, Congress continued to enforce it. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Although the 14th and 15th amendments gave everyone voting rights, many people found ways to insure that they were not able to vote. They established literacy tests, the Grandfather clause and several other methods in order to deter African Americans, from voting. The Voting Rights Act struck away all of these methods and reinforced the 14th and 15th amendment, insuring that all citizens are always able to vote, regardless of race. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action policies are policies in which an institution or organization works to improve the opportunities for historically marginalized groups. Typically, the focus is centered on employment and education, as well as women and minorities, and is often referred to as equal opportunity employment. Generally, affirmative action policies prevent discrimination based on race, color, religion, and origin, and in 1967, included sex in that mix. -
Robert Kennedy Speech in Indianapolis after death of MLK
The speech was given on April 4th, 1968, after Kennedy had given speeches in Indiana at both Notre Dame and Ball State University. He then flew to Indianapolis and upon landing learned that Martin Luther King had died. He decided to address the public to both inform and calm the community. Although there were riots in several other major cities, the speech seemed to have a positive effect in Indianapolis and no rioting occurred. In the speech, Kennedy emphasized the need for love and respect, no -
Reed v. Reed
The court case Reed v. Reed stated that the administrators of estates cannot be named in a way that discriminates sexes. A couple were trying to decide who would be named administrator to the estate of their son who had passed away. The Supreme Court decided that the 14th amendment prohibited differential treatment based on a person’s gender. Additionally, the state of Idaho, where the case occurred, decided to repeal its statute that in cases such as this, it was mandated that the designation w -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment is an amendment that insures that civil rights cannot based on be denied by the government the sex of the individual. It was originally written and introduced to Congress in 1923. This amendment was passed by congress in 1972, but incredibly enough it has not yet been ratified by the necessary 38 of the 50 states to this day. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
This case was decided in 1978, and upheld the constitutionality of affirmative action in college admissions. Affirmative action is the granting of special considerations and opportunities for minorities. However, it also ruled that specific quotas for integration are unconstitutional. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
The court case Bowers v. Hardwick upheld the Georgia sodomy law that made engaging in homosexual intercourse between two consenting adults illegal. A lot of the argument stemmed from the fact that the Constitution did not exclusively make provisions for engagement in “homosexual sodomy,” an entity that many considered to be an infamous and unnatural crime. This decision was overturned in 2003. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination based on disability and also requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for disabled workers, and requires easily accessible public areas. Senator Tom Harkin wrote the bill and was one of the major proponents of the bill in the Senate. George HW Bush signed the bill into law in 1990, and it was later amended in 2009 with some changes. -
Lawrence V. Texas
This court case made sodomy laws across the country unconstitutional. It protected sexual acts and gave a constitutional insurance of sexual privacy. In practice, sodomy laws were typically enacted against homosexual couples. It was decided in 2003. -
Fisher V. Texas
This was a court case from 2008 in which it was argued that the University of Texas gave race to large of a role in their admissions policy, especially because of its public university status. Originally, the court determined that the university’s policy was constitutional. Eventually it was sent to the Supreme Court and received a 7-1 vote for further consideration. -
Indiana Gay Rights Battle
The court case that really sparked the turning of the tides for Indiana’s same-sex marriage ruling was Baskin v. Bogan. For a short while, the clerks at the court began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but the next day a halt was issued and the licenses stopped. The case went to the Supreme Court, and it was ruled that Indiana was required to recognize same-sex marriage.
