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African Americans, 3/5 Compromise
A compromise reached among state delegates during the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention. The compromise solution was to count three out of every five slaves as a person for a state's population. -
Hispanic Americans, Multi-member electoral districts in Texas outlawed
Banned in the apportionment act of 1842, multi-member districts were used to monopolize party influence in a state. This allowed for better representation of the minority -
Women, Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions is signed
This was a document with 12 sections that argued for women's rights -
African Americans, Scott v. Sandford
A civil rights case that decided that slaves were not citizens, and therefore could not sue in federal court. -
African Americans, 13th amendment
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. -
African Americans, 14th Amendment
This amendment declared persons born within the US citizens. It also ensured due process of law, where a citizen's rights cannot be revoked without proceeding through due process of law. Lastly, this amendment outlaws discrimination of US citizens. -
African Americans, 15th Amendment
Guaranteed the right of all US citizens to vote -
African Americans, Plessy v. Ferguson
A supreme court case that determined that segregation was constitutional as long as the separated facilities were equal in quality. "Separate but Equal" -
African Americans, Founding of the NAACP
An interest group created with a bi-racial community to improve rights of African Americans and encourage diversity. -
Women, 19th amendment
prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex. -
Women, ERA introduced into congress
An amendment suggested by women that promoted equality between the sexes -
African Americans, Smith v. Allwright
A landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court with regard to voting rights and, by extension, racial desegregation. It overturned the Texas state law that authorized the Democratic Party to set its internal rules, including the use of white primaries. -
African Americans, Truman orders desegregation of armed forces
This was an executive order by Truman that abolished discrimination in the military on basis of race, color, religion, or national origin. -
Hispanic Americans, Hernandez v. Texas
A Supreme Court case that extended constitutional rights to Mexican Americans. -
African Americans, Brown v. Board of Education
A landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that American state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregated schools are otherwise equal in quality. -
African Americans, Little Rock Nine
A group of nine African American students that attended a previously all-white school that was desegregated after Brown v Board -
African Americans, 24th Amendment
An amendment that outlawed taxes on voting that prohibited citizens of the US from voting. -
African Americans, Civil Rights Act of 1964
Ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin -
African Americans, Voting Rights Act of 1965
A landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. -
Hispanic Americans, Founding of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
An interest group created to protect and defend the rights of all Latinos living in the United States and the constitutional rights of all Americans. -
African Americans, Jones V. Mayer
A supreme court case that decided that Congress had the ability to regulate the sale of private property to prevent discrimination. -
Sexual Orientation, Stonewall Riots
a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay community against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. -
Women, Reed v. Reed
A supreme court ruling that decided that estate administrators cannot discriminate on the basis of sex. -
Women, ERA passed by congress
The amendment was passed by congress, prohibiting discrimination with the basis of sex -
Women, Title IX
"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." -
Women, Congress opens all military service academies to women
In 1975, President Ford, signed Public Law 94-106 requiring the services to open the halls of West Point, Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy to women. -
Women, Craig v. Boren
The first case that declared that sex discrimination was under scrutiny of the 14th amendment. -
Women, Dothard v. Rawlinson
the first United States Supreme Court case which the bona fide occupational qualifications (BFOQ) defense was used. -
Hispanic Americans, Plyler v Doe
Supreme Court Case that held that if states provide a free public education to U.S. citizens and lawfully present foreign-born children, they cannot deny such an education to undocumented children. -
Women, Civil Rights and Women's Equity in Employment Act
Amends the Revised Statutes of the United States to declare that all persons within U.S. jurisdiction shall have the same right to take certain actions, including making and enforcing contracts, as is enjoyed by male citizens. -
Hispanic Americans, Cesar Chavez publicizes plight of farm workers
Cesar Chavez led the historic non-violent movement for farm worker rights and dedicated himself to building a movement of poor working people. He also inspired millions of people who never worked on a farm to commit themselves to social, economic and civil rights activism. -
Sexual Orientation, "Don't ask Don't Tell"
The official United States policy on military service by gays, bisexuals, and lesbians, instituted by the Clinton Administration on February 28, 1994, when Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 issued on December 21, 1993. -
Women, National Organization of Women organized
Feminist organization created to push for equity for women -
Sexual Orientation, Massachusetts legalizes same sex marriage
Massachusetts became the first U.S. state and the sixth jurisdiction in the world to legalize same-sex marriage following the Supreme Judicial Court's decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health six months earlier. -
Sexual Orientation, United States v Windsor
a landmark civil rights case in which the United States Supreme Court held that restricting U.S. federal interpretation of "marriage" and "spouse" to apply only to opposite-sex unions -
Sexual Orientation, Obergefell v Hodges
a landmark civil rights case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. -
Sexual Orientation, Masterpiece Cakeshop v Colorado
A supreme court case where restricting service to gay couples was not unconstitutional if it violated religious beliefs. -
Sexual Orientation, Defense of Marriage Act
a United States federal law that, prior to being ruled unconstitutional, defined marriage for federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman, and allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states.
