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13th Amendment
This marked the last piece to the ending of slavery. It said that slavery is abolished, or ended. Slavery lasted for about 250 years in the United States. Eventually, this led to state and federal laws that outlined equality for all. -
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Civil Rights Era
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14th Amendment
This amendment addresses citizenship rights and equal protection of laws. It was proposed due to issues with former slaves after the Civil War. Andrew Johnson was president at the time and stated his displeasure with this amendment. Overall, the 14th amendment expanded civil rights protection to all Americans. -
15th Amendment
This grants African American men the right to vote. The summary of the Amendment is that everyone, no matter race, gender, or slave, has the ability to vote for their government representatives. Even though this was in place, there were still other discriminatory actions in place, like poll taxes and literacy tests. After this amendment, blacks continued to struggle with their freedoms and power. -
Jim Crow
Jim Crow is a fictional character, yet affected many people's lives. He was named after a song that stereotyped African-Americans. He exemplified our government system, and racial oppression and segregation in the U.S. The well-known Jim Crow laws basically made blacks the subordinate minorities. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
One black man, Homer Plessy, was arrested for sitting in a designated white car of a train. His case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, for the Separate Car Act violating the 14th and 15th amendments. This case upholds that "separate but equal" is constitutional. This created a setback for African Americans. -
Literacy Tests
A literacy test is a state government practice of giving tests to prospective voters. They asked many questions about the government system details and state facts. These tests were extremely difficult and hard to pass. Again, the purpose was to exclude African Americans from voting. -
Poll Taxes
These were primarily used in the southern states. This was to prevent blacks and poor whites from voting. The 5 states who still had the tax after the 24th amendment were: Virginia, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi. This tax fell out of favor around the 1950s. -
19th Amendment
This prohibits any U.S. citizen from being denied the right to vote based on gender. Early on, women had very limited rights and freedoms. The amendment came about as part of the women's suffrage movement. It overruled a case that declared that the 14th amendment did not consider women's right to vote. -
Korematsu vs. United States
This case concerns the constitutionality of Japanese Americans in internment camps. Fred Korematsu refused to leave his California home during the war. The U.S military banned anyone from being on the coast at this time. The court sided with the government in a 6-3 ruling that the exclusion order is constitutional. -
Sweatt vs. Painter
It was a U.S. Supreme Court case that successfully challenged the "separate but equal" racial doctrine. The case involved a black man named Herman Marion Sweatt. He was refused admission to the School of Law at the University of Texas. The president of the university said that the Texas Constitution prohibited integrated education. At this time, no law school in Texas admitted black students. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
This case establised state laws that the separate public schools for blacks and whites is unconstitutional. This overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson. It was a unanimous 9-0 decision that "separate public facilities are inherently unequal." The segregation violated the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th amendment. This case was a step forward for integration and the civil rights movement. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
This is an infamous event in American history. Many people know about it because of Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat for a white person, and being arrested. The boycott was a political and social protest campaign against racial segregation on public buses. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy were also involved in this event. -
Affirmative Action
This is an action or policy favoring people who are discriminated against. They try to provide equal opportunities for minority groups and women in education and employment. The actions are to be made in hiring, promotions and wage equality. President Kennedy was the first President to use this term in office. -
24th Amendment
It prohibits requiring a poll tax for voters in federal elections. Even after it was ratified, 5 states still required a poll tax. This was one of the final amendments that eliminated discriminatory actions. Now, political participation is open to all citizens. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act outlawed discrimination against race, ethnicity, color, religion, or gender. It ended racial segregation in schools, restaurants and other public places. Also, it ended unequal voter registration requirements between blacks and whites. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
It prohibits racial discrimination in voting. This was later amended 5 times to expand its protections. It was considered one of the most effective parts of civil rights legislation ever put in place in this country. It now has rules about the running of elections. -
Robert Kennedy Speech in Indy
This event was a previously planned campaign rally to try to win votes for the election. Robert Kennedy heard about MLK's assassination and changed his speech. He was the first person to inform everyone about the assassination of MLK Jr. He spoke about compassion, hope and dreams to all listeners, leaving Indy quiet instead of chaotic. After, he encouraged everyone to pray for our country. -
Reed vs. Reed
Sally and Cecil Reed were a married couple who did not know who to name as administrator of their estate. Each filed a petition with the Probate Court in Idaho wanting to be named. Idaho code said that "males must be preferred to females." Therefore, Cecil was named the estate administrator. Sally argued that the 14th amendment forbids discrimination based on gender. -
Equal Rights Amendment
This was a proposed amendment to the Constitution. It is designed to guarantee equal rights for women. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman. About 50 years after it was introduced, it was passed by both houses. -
Regents of the University of California vs. Bakke
Allan P. Bakke, a black male, wanted to apply to the University of California Medical School, but was denied several times. He was considered too old, even though he was in his thirties. He went to the California state court. The court said the program violates the rights of the white applicants. They ordered that Bakke be admitted immediately. This case had wide public attention. -
Bowers vs. Hardwick
This case upheld the constitutionality of a Georgia sodomy law. The law criminalizes sex in private when applied to homosexuals. The court seemed to have an "obsessive focus on homosexual activity. They refused to look at the big picture of right to privacy. This case was later overturned in 2003 by a 5-4 ruling. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The act prohibits discrimination based on disability. It requires that employers have proper accomodations for anyone with disabilities. This also applies to the accessibility in public facilities. Additionally, it applies to employment, transportation, communications, and governmental activities. This act increased the protection of all Americans. -
Lawrence vs. Texas
The state of Texas struck down the sodomy law, in a 6-3 ruling. It also invalidated the law in 13 other states. This made same sex sexual activity legal in every U.S. state and territory. The previous state laws were said to violate the right to privacy. -
Fisher vs. Texas
Abigail Fisher brought up this case in 2008. The court declared the race conscious admissions rules inconsistent with a prior case that race has an appropriate but limited role in the decision process. This case mainly focused on how race should be narrowly considered throughout the process. The case was taken to the Fifth Circuit and ruled in favor of the University. -
Indiana Gay Rights Case
On this date, same sex marriage became legal in Indiana. The restriction to male-female marriages had been in place since 1997. The case, Baskin vs. Bogan, challenged the state's refusal to give marriage licenses to same-sex couples. They won, so thereafter the state law has been changed to allow homosexual couples to marry.
