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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dredd Scott was a slave in Missouri, but he was living in Illinois from 1833-1843. Scott believed that since he was living in a free state he should still be free when he returned to Missouri. The Court decided that because Scott was a descendant of slaves, he didn't have the right to sue. The majority opinion was that moving to a free state did not free Scott and that slaves were property under the 5th amendment. This case was a loss for the civil rights movement because it condoned slavery. -
13th Amendment
This amendment formally abolished slavery in the United States. President Lincoln approved this amendment the congress proposed it to the state legislators. It was ratified by the end of 1865. Eve though this did not officially mark the end of slavery, it set a precedent for the future and discouraged the use of slavery. The government took a stand with this amendment and it was a big step towards equal civil rights. -
14th Amendment
This amendment stated that all citizens born in the US of naturalized were official US citizens. This gave citizenship to all former slaves and their children, "allowing them equal protection from laws." This amendment shows up in many cases including Brown v Board of Education, Roe v Wade, Reed v Reed, and more. This amendment has helped the civil rights movement in many ways because it allows freedom for everyone no matter what their race or sex is. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment granted voting rights for every race. Though it did not allow everyone to vote, this was the first step in allowing all forms of people to be represented in the government. Without this amendment, it is unlikely that we would have any members in our government other than white men. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
In Louisiana, there was the Separate Car Act, which required separate railway cars for black and white people. Homer Plessy, who was 7/8 caucasian, agreed to help the Comite des Citoyens challenge the act by sitting in a "whites only" car. Plessy was told to get off the car and when he resisted, he was arrested. The Court decided that the act was constitutional because the train cars were separate but equal and didn't count as discrimination. This was a set back for the civil rights movement. -
19th Amendment
This amendment gave all United States citizens the right to vote. The right extends to all sexes and it cannot be denied for any reason on the basis of sex. This was a huge moment for women all over the country and it was detrimental for civil rights. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Many schools around the country were denying admittance for black students. The students and their families believed that school segregation violated the 14th amendment. The court ruled that schools could not be segregated and that the idea of segregated places being "separate but equal" was discrimination. This was detrimental for the civil rights movement because it was the start to ending segregation and discrimination. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act prohibits discrimination of people based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. This was the first step towards de-segregating the US and it had a huge impact on the civil rights movement. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act outlawed any discriminatory voting practices including literacy tests, poll taxes, etc.. The south was a dangerous place for black people to vote at because they could face harassment, and physical violence. After this amendment was passed, nearly a quarter of a million black voters had registered to vote, and only 4 of the 13 southern states had less than 50% black voters. This act allowed better representation in the government because black people weren't so discouraged from voting. -
Reed v. Reed
There was an Idaho Probate Code that stated that males were preferred over females in relation to administering estates. after the death of Sally Reed's son, she and her separated husband both wanted his estate. The state gave it to Cecil because of the clause and Sally challenged the law in court. The court decided that the law was unconstitutional because it favored one sex over the other, and that this specific situation had no need to be based on peoples sex. This was a win for civil rights. -
Title IX
Title IX is a federally that states stating that no person in the US should be excluded or discriminated from any educational program or activity on the basis of sex. This allowed every gender to be able to participate in any club, sport, or class. This had a greta impact on women's education and made the public school system much more inclusive. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Allan Bakke was a 35 yo white man who applied to the University of California Medical School at Davis. This university had a program that included 16 minority students for every 100 students in order to combat the unfair exclusion of minorities in the past. After Bakke was denied twice, he believed his qualifications were better than the minorities and that he should've been accepted. The court decided that using race as a criteria for decisions in higher education was constitutional. -
American Disabilities Act
This act protects all individuals with any physical or mental impairment. This includes employment, transportation, public accommodations, and any other government programs. This act has given disabled people, who are not often given proper representation, a lot more protections so that, they are treated more equally by the government and the public. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Many groups of same-sex couples began to sue their respective states for their bans on same-sex marriage. They believed these bans violated the 14th amendment. The court majority decided that the 14th amendment guarantees the right to marry as a fundament liberty and that it applies to same-sex couples the same way it does to opposite-sex couples. This case was a large step in the right direction for lgbtq+ rights because it stated they deserved the same rights as everyone else.