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Dred Scott v. Sandford
from 1833 to 1843, Dred Scott lived as a slave in Illinois, where slavery was illegal. when Scot returned to Missouri, he sued for his freedom and the supreme court ruled that "negros" are not US citizens and do not have the right to go to court. -
The 13'th Amendment
during the civil war, Lincoln declared that all slaves in the united states are considered free. Afterwards, the bill for the 13'th amendment, prohibiting slavery, entered congress and was eventually ratified on December 6'th, 1865. -
The 14'th Amendment
before the 14'th amendment, the people who used to be slaves were free but denied citizenship. The 14'th amendment was ratified on July 9'th, 1868, granting everyone born in the united states-including former slaves-citizenship. -
The 15'th Amendment
the 15'th amendment was passed, allowing black men the right to vote. Women, white and black, still did not have this right after the 15'th amendment. -
Jim Crow Era
In this timespan, many southern states passed laws restricting the civil rights of black people and forcing them into the lower class economically and socially. This is backwards progress from the 13'th, 14'th, and 15'th amendments. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
the Plessy v. Ferguson case was decided. Plessy rode in a whites only train to protest segregation and was arrested. The lawyers stated that Segregation violated the 14'th amendment and the court decided that segregation was not discrimination. This was a terrible time for people who were not white because segregation was authorized by the federal government by a supreme court case. -
The 19'th Amendment
African American men received the right to vote before any women did. This changed on August 18, 1920 when congress passed the 19'th amendment, granting women the right to vote. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The equal rights amendment was an amendment brought to congress multiple times that eventually got passed in congress but failed to gather support in the minimum of 38 states. The amendment was aimed to constitutionally guarantee equal rights between both men and women. -
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka is decided. This was a case coming from multiple other cases involving children being denied access to schools based on race. The court ruled segregation of public schools unconstitutional because it violated the 14'th amendment and instilled inferiority complexes in children that lasted into adulthood -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Congress passes The Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting discrimination in government owned places. This forced the government to treat black people the same way as white people. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed, prohibiting the use of discriminatory practices involving voting with the intent to inhibit certain minorities or groups of people. This forced states to allow black people to be able to vote the same way as white people -
Reed v. Reed
The Reed v. Reed case was decided. The estates of Mr. and Mrs. Reed's son were given to Mr. reed based on an Idaho law that gives males priority over women in the distribution of estates. Mrs. Reed sues saying that the law violates the 14'th amendment and that the decision should not be based solely on sex. Mrs. Reed wins the case and the law is removed. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Allan Bakke was a white male with excellent qualifications for the college he was trying to enter but his applications were ignored in favor of minority applicants. He sued saying that the college was excluding him from admission solely because he was a white male. The court ruled in his favor with a slightly confusing majority vote. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action passed as a law, requiring federal organizations and contractors to make a valid attempt to recruit minorities, women, and other groups of people who were unlikely to get a job at the time. (I'm not sure about the date) -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Bowers v. Hardwick is decided. Hardwick was caught by a police officer having sexual contact with another man, which was illegal in Georgia at the time. Hardwick sued the state for the unconstitutionality of the law and won. This officially legalized homosexuality in Georgia. -
The Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, prohibiting the discrimination against people who have disabilities in government processes, jobs, transportation, and multiple other things. This act allows people with disabilities to stand a chance of providing for themselves without government compensation. -
National Voter Registration Act of 1993
The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 is passed, requiring state governments to have voter registration available to anyone who renews their drivers license. this allows people who would have had trouble registering normally to do so easily. -
Lawrence v. Texas
Lawrence v. Texas was decided. Lawrence and another man were caught by police having sexual contact, and like the case in Georgia, were arrested because it was illegal in Texas. Lawrence sued the state for the law and narrowly won the case, forcing Texas to legalize homosexuality. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Obergefell v. Hodges is decided. Multiple same-sex couples sued their states in order to challenge the constitutionality of laws prohibiting same-sex marriages, and the court decided that marriage of any type is protected under the fourteenth amendment. This case allowed same-sex marriage everywhere in the United States.