Civil Rights Movement

By DanceSing678

  • Dred Scott v. Sandford

    This case decided that citizenship was not a part of the Constitution. This was a leading factor in starting the Civil War. It decided that African Americans could not claim citizenship.

  • 13th Amendment

    This amendment decided that slavery was no longer allowed in the United States. It was a significant step in giving African Americans rights and was the first of the Reconstruction Amendments.

  • 14th Amendment

    This amendment granted citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the US. This included people formerly freed from slavery and aimed to help gain rights for African Americans.

  • 15th Amendment

    This amendment gave African American men the right to vote. It was a major step in gaining African Americans rights, but was not fully implemented until the next century, during the Civil Rights Movement.

  • Plessy v. Ferguson

    This court case decided that African Americans can be segregated in "separate but equal" facilities. This was a major setback from achieving equality for African Americans, and was quickly retaliated against.

  • 19th Amendment

    This amendment gave women the right to vote. This came after almost a century of discrimination against minority groups in the voting process and was a major step in giving all citizens equal rights.

  • Brown v. Board of Education

    This court case decided that segregation by race in educational facilities was unconstitutional. It was a major turning point in achieving equality for African Americans, and overturned the decision of Plessy v. Ferguson.

  • Affirmative Action

    This bans government employers from discriminating against an employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, or national origin. It requires equality in the work place and aims to end discrimination for minority groups.

  • 24th Amendment

    This amendment prevented the use of poll taxes in elections for federal officials. This aimed to prevent states from finding loopholes in the 15th Amendment that prevented African Americans from being able to vote.

  • Civil Rights Act of 1964

    This law outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. This was a major landmark in gaining rights for African Americans and also paved the way for protecting the rights of other minority groups.

  • Poll Taxes

    These were used to prevent African Americans from voting. It was usually too expensive to vote because of these taxes; the Voting Rights Act of 1965 officially prohibited further use of these.

  • White Primaries

    These were primary elections in the United States where only white voters could participate. These were one of many loopholes used by states to prevent African Americans from voting. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 ended the use of these.

  • Voting Rights Act of 1965

    This law aimed to prevent the loopholes states were using to prevent African Americans from voting. It outlawed discriminatory practices such as literacy tests that were used in the voting process.

  • Reed v. Reed

    This court case decided that the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment guarantees that the administrators of states cannot be named in a discriminatory way against women. This helped to further women's rights as citizens.

  • Equal Rights Amendment

    This amendment aims to create equality for all US citizens, regardless of sex. It was created to fight against the many discriminatory practices against women, but has not officially become a part of the Constitution.

  • Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

    This case decided that affirmative action is constitutional, and that college admissions can use race as a method of choosing new students. It aimed to keep equality for racial minorities.

  • Bowers v. Hardwick

    This case decided that the Constitution does not protect the rights of gay adults to commit in private romantic relations. This was a step back in protecting citizens of all sexualities and giving them equal rights.

  • Americans with Disabilities Act

    This act aims to prohibit discrimination based on someone's disability. This affects employment, transportation, among other factors. This aims to create equal rights for all citizens.

  • Lawrence v. Texas

    This case ruled that the Texas law banning sexual relations with a homosexual couple was unconstitutional. It went against the ruling of Bowers v. Hardwick and aimed to give rights to citizens of all sexualities.

  • Obergefell v. Hodges

    This case decided that state bans on same-sex marriages are unconstitutional. It was a major step for achieving equality for citizens of all sexualities.