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Scott v. Stanford
A slave named Dred Scott moved to a free state and tried to sue his owner for owning him in a free state. The case was taken to court and the Supreme Court decided that no African American, free or slave, could sue in court. This was because they were not officially citizens. This led to the 14th amendment which helps define citizenship. -
13th Amendment
The 13th amendment abolished slavery and made it illegal. -
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Reconstruction
Reconstruction was a time period after the Civil War in which African Americans were freed from slavery. This was a big factor in the American Civil Rights movement. During this time, previous slaves were given many rights, they were given the title of a citizen, and also got the ability to vote with protection under the law. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment extended the due process to the states and it created the equal protection clause which makes sure every citizen has the same rights under the law. It also defined what a citizen is and what makes a person a citizen. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment made sure that any citizen in the U.S.A could vote without a restriction on race, religion, or previous occupations. Many southern states tried to circumvent this law by forming the grandfather clause, literacy tests, and poll taxes. -
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Jim Crow Era
Jim Crow laws were laws enforced by state and local governments that supported racial segregation. Some laws such as not allowing white and colored kids to play together, separating schools, and separating white and African Americans on trains and buses. These laws led to the separate but equal doctrine but in the end, the court decided that segregation could never be separate but equal. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
This was the court case that decided that segregation was allowed and legal in the U.S. Although they stated that segregation was legal, the segregation had to follow the seperate but equal doctrine. This stated that as long as they were equal while being separated, then it was legal. -
19th Amendment
The 19th amendment gave the right to vote to any gender or sex if they are a U.S. citizen. -
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Scottsboro Boys
The Scottsboro Boys were nine boys who were falsely accused of rape. Due to the high amounts of racial segregation, they were found guilty many times without the rights they had. Many rights were violated in their trials such as a competent lawyer and a jury of their peers. Because of this, the Scottsboro Boys stayed in jail for a long time. -
George Stinney Case
George Stinney was an African American boy who was given the death penalty at the age of 14. Stinney was accused of murdering a white girl. During this case, many rights of his were violated such as no cruel or unusual punishments and also a fair and competent lawyer. -
Brown v. Board
In Brown v. Board, the previous decision in Plessy v. Ferguson was overturned. The Supreme Court had decided that segregation could never be equal due to the fact of feeling inferior towards other races. This ended segregation but formed many new Jim Crow laws. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act officially outlaws discrimination based on skin color, race, religion, or sex. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This legislature prohibited racial discrimination while voting. It was put in place to enforce the 15th amendment because many southern states tried to circumvent the 15th amendment. -
Civil Rights Act of 1968
This law prohibited discrimination while selling, financing, or renting housing based on sex, race, and religion. -
California v. Bakke
The Supreme Court in California v. Bakke ruled that racial quotas in college applications was unconstitutional. But the court decided that colleges using "affirmative action", to accept more minority applicants, was constitutional. -
Gratz v. Bollinger
This court case confirmed that affirmative action was constitutional. This was only true if the purpose was to achieve a more diverse class and if race wasn't the only factor used to decide if they were accepted or not. Race-based classifications would have to be for the greater interest of the school. -
Meredith v. Jefferson Co Board
A parent of a student in Jefferson County sued the Board of Education when they had put in an application process. This process looked at race to see if they would be accepted. The Supreme Court decided that the application process was unconstitutional as it had no clear educational benefit from diversity nor was it concise enough to pass as a race-based enrollment plan. -
Shelby County v. Holder
Shelby County, Alabama, filed suit in district court against sections 4 and 5 of the voting Voters Rights Acts stating that it was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court ruled that Sections 4 and 5 were unconstitutional as the discrimination that it was intended to prevent, wasn't seen anymore.