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Scott v. Sanford
Dred Scott lived in a free state but was kept as a slave. He argued that because he lived in a free state, he should be deemed free. He filed suit in Missouri and lost. He then brought this case to federal court and lost once again in a 7-2 decision. They argued that he was considered property under the 5th Amendment and it would be unconstitutional to take "property" away from slaveowners. This case brought light upon how the federal government viewed slavery. -
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Reconstruction Period
The goal of Reconstruction was to restore the union and compromise with the Southern states that seceded before and during the war. They wanted to rebuild the country after the era of slavery. Although the reconstruction period failed, it helped start the steps that were needed to make the country unified again. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery. This amendment was a huge step in creating equality. Although this amendment helped, it couldn't stand strong just on its own so 2 other amendments were added to help ensure equality. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment gave the right to be free from discrimination in states, to have due process of law, and to have equal protection of the law, and granted citizenship. This was needed because even though slavery was abolished, people still had racist and derogatory views. These views were very strong and most of the time they led to dangerous situations. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment gave African Americans the right to vote (Black Sufferage). This was because no man should be denied the right to vote based on the color of their skin or previous condition of "servitude". This was important because it not only gave African Americans to vote and have a say in government, but it also allowed the most African Americans in history to be elected into office. This helped make the changes that the African Americans wanted to see. -
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Jim Crow Era
Jim Crow Laws were state and local laws that supported and enforced racial segregation all over the South. All were enacted by white Democratic-dominated legislatures after the Reconstruction period. The laws were enforced until 1965. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
In 1896, the Supreme Court ruled segregation legal; The Court ruled that “separate but equal” accommodations African Americans were permitted under the Constitution; Justice Brown conceded that the 14th Amendment intended to establish absolute equality for the races before the law, but held that separate treatment did not imply the inferiority of African Americans. -
19th Amendment
The 19th amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote (women sufferage). Achieving this required a long and difficult struggle; victory took decades of agitation and protest; Big step towards gender equality. -
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Scottsboro Boys
The Scottsboro Boys were nine black teenagers falsely accused of raping two white women aboard a train. Their trials sparked an uproar and caused two significant U.S. Supreme Court verdicts; the defendants were forced to spend years battling the courts and enduring the Alabama prison system. These cases helped fuel the rise of the civil rights movement later in the 20th century. -
The George Stinney Case
George Stinney was an African American, convicted at age 14, of murdering two white girls, ages 7 and 11, in Alcolu, South Carolina. He was executed by electric chair in June of that year. It took 10 minutes to convict 14-year-old George Stinney Jr. It took 70 years after his execution to exonerate him. He was denied almost all of his due process rights. -
Brown v. Board
These cases were based on segregation due to race in public schools. African American students had been denied attendance to certain public schools based on laws allowing public education to be segregated by race. They argued that segregation violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court held that “separate but equal” was inherently unequal and violated the Equal Protection Clause. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, segregation due to race, religion or national origin was banned at all public places, including courthouses, parks, restaurants, theaters, sports arenas, and hotels. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibited racial segregation and discrimination in voting. This was very important because it allowed many African Americans to be elected into office for the first time. -
Civil Rights Act of 1968
The Civil Rights Act of 1968 prohibited discrimination against certain races when buying and renting houses. In the past, people had been pushing people to sell their houses quickly and for cheap, using the threat that an African American might buy it and live in their neighboorhood if they didn't. This stopped many African Americans from buying certain housing and by outlawing this, there was more diversity in neighborhoods. -
California v. Bakke
Bakke applied twice for admission to the University of California Medical School at Davis. He was rejected both times because the school reserved places for minorities. Bakke fought that he was excluded from admission because of race. There was no majority opinion. Four of the justices decided that the racial system supported by the government violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. However, some argued that the use of racial quotas at the school violated the Equal Protection Clause. -
Gratz v. Bollinger
Jennifer Gratz and Patrick Hamacher both applied for admission to the University of Michigan’ College. Both applied but were told that although they were qualified, they were not competitive enough applicants to be admitted on the first review. They argued that the admission procedure discriminated against certain racial and ethnic groups in violation of the Equal Protection Clause. The Court held that the policies did not meet the standard. -
Meredith v. Jefferson Co Board
JCPS put in an enrollment plan to maintain racial integration. Meredith and other parents sued the district, arguing that the plan's racial classifications violated the students' Fourteenth Amendment rights to equal protection of the law. The District Court ruled that the plan was constitutional because the school had an interest in maintaining racial diversity. Meredith then appealed to the Supreme Court. By a 5-4 vote, the Court voted the plan unconstitutional. -
Shelby County v. Holder
Prohibiting eligible districts from enacting changes to their election laws and procedures without gaining official authorization. And defining the eligible districts as ones that had a voting test in place as of November 1, 1964, and less than 50% turnout for the 1964 presidential election. Shelby County, Alabama, filed suit in the district court that these were unconstitutional. In a 5-4 decision, the court decided that these sections of the Voting Act were unconstitutional.
