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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave who moved to a free state, which was established by the Missouri Compromise. He filed for his freedom, but was not granted it, so he sued his owner. The SCOTUS held that parts of the Missouri Compromise were unconstitutional, and that Scott should be treated as property, not a person. -
13th Amendment
This amendment, ratified after the Civil War, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. This was a follow-up to the Emancipation Proclamation issued by Lincoln during the war. While slaves were freed, equality for black Americans was still not achieved due to the large presence of racism. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment, also part of the Reconstruction amendments, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the US. It also guarantees equal protection of the laws to all citizens. This amendment is used in many civil rights court cases, and is monumental in establishing rights for black Americans. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment granted African-American men the right to vote. While this was an important amendment, discrimination still continued on a large scale, so many black Americans were still barred from voting. -
Poll Taxes
Used throughout the 1890's and early 20th century, poll taxes were a voting fee designed to prevent African Americans from voting, since there were no possible exemptions from this fee for black voters. The 24th amendment prohibits poll taxes for federal elections, and the SCOTUS ruled this also applies to state elections. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
This was a landmark case in which the court allowed for racial segregation under the separate but equal doctrine. This allowed for Jim Crow laws and other forms of segregation were permitted, and separate accommodations became more common. -
19th Amendment
This amendment granted women to right to vote. This followed almost a century of women's rights groups advocating for suffrage. This allowed many women to vote in future elections, despite black women still being restricted unfairly. -
White Primaries
White primaries were a way to limit the ability for African Americans to participate politically. The Democratic party was essentially the only successful party in the South, and states often prevented African Americans from party membership. Thus, closing primaries to everyone except party members excluded black Americans. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The ERA is a proposed amendment that guarantees equal legal rights for all citizens regardless of sex. This amendment was first drafted in 1923, and has currently been ratified by 38 states, but the deadline for ratification must be changed by Congress for the amendment to pass. This amendment would end legal distinctions between men and women for divorce, property, employment, and more. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This case essentially struck down the "separate but equal" idea seen in Plessy v Ferguson, because the court ruled racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This fueled the civil rights movement, and set an important precedent for the government's views on segregation and discrimination. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative action describes efforts to improve employment and education opportunities for members of groups that have been discriminated against. This usually involves preference being given in some situations to minorities, as determined by race, disability, gender, or ethnicity. It was first used in 1961, and is still used today to an extent. -
24th Amendment
This amendment outlaws poll taxes, which disproportionately targeted African Americans. This started the process of breaking down barriers that Jim Crow laws had created, and stopped some attempts to disenfranchise black voters. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. This put an end to some of the discrimination that continued after Reconstruction, mainly through Jim Crow laws, and was instrumental in the civil rights movement. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This goal of this act was to break down some of the legal barriers that prevented African Americans from exercising their 15th amendment right to vote. While this didn't immediately end all attempts to disenfranchise, voter turnout increased, and gave legal means to challenge restrictions. -
Reed v. Reed
This case struck down an Idaho law stating that when the father and mother sought to be administrator of the estate of their deceased child, the man was given preference. Due to equal protection clause, this law was unconstitutional according to the court. This set the precedent that states could no longer exclude women due to sheer convenience, because the court proved it was willing to intervene. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Allan Bakke sued the university when he discovered the medical school had seats reserved for people of color. The SCOTUS ruled that the university could use race to evaluate candidates, but couldn't use a racial quota. This allows for affirmative action policies to stand, granting opportunities to groups who have been discriminated against. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
This case challenged a Georgia law that outlawed homosexual sexual activity. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that there was no constitutional protection for this, meaning states had the right to outlaw these practices. While this decision was overturned in a later case, it did not advance the rights of homosexuals at this time. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The ADA is the primary piece of legislation that prohibits discrimination and guarantees rights to people with disabilities. This allows for equal access to employment opportunities, purchasing of goods and services, and the ability to participate in government programs and services. -
Lawrence v. Texas
The court held that a Texas law against homosexual conduct was unconstitutional under the due process clause. This overturned the decision in Bowers v. Hardwick, granting homosexual adults the right to engage in consensual sex. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
In an important case setting precedent for same-sex marriage, the court ruled that the 14th amendment grants the right for homosexuals to marry. It also says the 1st amendment allows religious organizations to adhere to their principles, but it does not allow states to deny same-sex couples the right to marry. This outlawed any laws banning same-sex marriage in all states.
