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Dred Scott vs. Sandford
In the Dred Scott vs. Sandford case, Dred Scott who was a slave from Missouri, lived in Illinois (a free state) for a short time and upon returning to Missouri asked for his freedom because he had lived in a free state. This case is important to Civil Rights because in the ruling the court decided that anyone that was ever a slave couldn't be a citizen. This case was dismissed because a slave wasn't allowed to sue and take cases to court. This set up the later struggles for slaves freedom. -
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Jim Crow Era
The Jim Crow Era was a period of time when local and state laws were introduced to prevent African Americans from being equal in society. Some of the laws restricted friendships, communication and marriages among African Americans and Whites. Other laws segregated schools, and forced African Americans to live in separate areas away from Whites. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was passed at the end of the Civil War. This law stated that there couldn't be any slavery or involuntary servitude in the U.S. The only exception for this rule was for a punishment of a crime. This overall is important because it outlawed slavery. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment stated that all people born in the U.S were subject to citizenship and the rights that come with it. This Amendment is extremely important because it didn't allow states to take away life, liberty or property. This also allowed for states to be subject to upholding the laws in the Bill of Rights. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment allowed for African American men to have the right to vote. Though this Amendment was passed, many found ways around it. They used Jim Crow Laws, Grandfather Clauses and Literacy Tests to discourage voting. It is still an important amendment because it was a step in the effort to reach equality in the U.S. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
In the case Plessy v. Ferguson, a man who was partially black claimed that he didn't want to be in the same rail car as black people. This case is extremely important because under the "Separate but Equal" doctrine, the U.S stated that segregation was okay. This was one of the leading factors that eventually led to the Civil Rights Movement. -
Nineteenth Amendment
The 19th Amendment was an amendment that made it illegal to deny any person a vote on the basis of sex. This amendment was formed out of a lot of protests by women who still didn't have the right to vote. Overall,.it is extremely important because it allowed for over half of the U.S. to have the right to vote. -
Brown v. The Board of Education
Brown v. The Board of Education was a case that ruled that segregation within public schools was unconstitutional. This was a monumental case for Civil Rights. For the first time since the start of segregation, the courts ruled that it was unconstitutional. It was a big win for African Americans at the time. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 stated that it was illegal to discriminate on the basis race, sex, religion, color etc. This Act was extremely important in the Civil Rights Era as well. It was especially important when it came to firing, hiring and other career instances. It was a big win for African Americans at the time. -
Voting Rights Act 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was an act that was signed in with the goal of preventing state and local discrimination against African Americans. At the polls, many were still discouraging African Americans from voting and even restricting them the ability. This Act built off of the 15th Amendment and allowed African Americans the right to vote safely and securely. -
Affirmative Action
This affirmative action was sent out by LBJ. The main goal of this action was to prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on race, color, religion etc. This was an extremely important for the Civil Rights Movement because it forced companies to follow this action, otherwise they would face punishments from the government. -
Reed v. Reed
In the case of Reed vs. Reed a married couple both wanted to be the owner of an estate after the death of their adopted son. Idaho law said that males should be chosen over females and Sally Reed challenged that. It was found to be unconstitutional. This was an important case for women's rights and it helped to give women more powers when it came to marriages and estates. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment had the goal of providing legal equality among men and women, regardless of sex. It was drafted by two members of the women's suffrage movement. This Amendment was very important because it was the first time that women's rights were included in the Constitution, other than just voting rights. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
In this case, a white man Bakke applied to University of California medical school. He was rejected twice, because 16 of the spots were reserved for minorities Bakke to this case to local court and then the supreme court. This case was significant because it questioned the roles of minorities vs qualifications. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
In this case a man was charged for having homosexual sexual relations because his state prohibited it. The court ruled that under the 14th amendment, states were free to have laws against homosexual acts. This ruling was a setback for the advocates for LGBTQ+ rights. -
American's with Disabilities Act
The American's with Disabilities Act said that states couldn't discriminate against people with disabilities. This included transportation, employment, communication etc. This was a very important act for many Americans because under law, jobs were required to support them even if they had disabilities. -
Motor Voter Act
The Motor Voter act made it easier for Americans to vote. It allowed for voter registration by mail when someone applied for a drivers license. This Act helped make it easier for many Americans to vote and encouraged equality in voting. -
Lawrence v. Texas
In Lawrence v. Texas, the previous ruling in Bowers v. Hardwick was overturned. It ruled that under the Due Process Clause, individuals were allowed to engage in conduct without the government's interference. This was a very important ruling for the LGBTQ+ community. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
In the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, several LGBTQ+ couples sued their states for the right to marry. The court ruled that LGBTQ+ couples had the right to marry under the 14th Amendment and the Due Process Clause. This was very relevant because it was a big win for LGBTQ+ couples and equal rights.
