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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott v. Sandford was a case that caused the Supreme Court decision that stated that slaves were not citizens. It also stated that even if a (former) slave had lived in a free state for multiple years, they still were not ocnsidered free. It was also important because it declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States and was the first of three Reconstruction Amendments adopted in the five years following the American Civil War. Unlike the Emanicpation Proclaimation, which was seen as temporary and didn't reach all of the stataes, the 13th Amendment fully abolished slavery in all states. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment defines what it means to be a US citizen and protects certain rights of the people. It gives African Americans (and whites) born in the United States the right to citizenship, protects the 1st Amendment rights of the people, and it states that there may be no discrimination against African Americans by the law. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment protects the rights of Americans to vote in elections. It states that any American cannot be denied the right to vote because of race, color or being a former slave. The 15th Amendment also allowed for African Americans in history to be elected into public office. While it was a very powerful and important amendment, it was not heavily enforced until several years after it was ratified. -
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Poll Taxes
Poll Taxes Pictures Poll taxes were taxes that were placed on every adult, without reference to income or resources. In order to vote, one had to pay the poll tax first. This was another way to avoid African American voting because many couldn't afford to pay the tax. This is also when the Grandfather Clause was put in place. The Grandfather Clause allowed for poor whites to still vote without paying the tax. -
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White Primaries
White Primaries Picture White primaries were political primary elections that occurred mainly in Southern states in which only white voters were permitted to participate. These were put in place in order to prevent African Americans to vote and were ways of sneaking around the growing rights of African Americans. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was a case that caused the Supreme Court decision that legalized segregation ordered by the state as long as the facilities for blacks and whites were equal. This is most easily summarized by the statement "Seperate, but equal". -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment made it illegal for any citizen, regardless of gender, to be denied the right to vote. This amendment is very important because it is what finally allowed women the right to vote, since the 15th Amendment hadn't covered women under its umbrella of people allowed to vote. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was one of the most important court cases for African American civil rights. It caused a Supreme Court decision that negated Plessy v. Ferguson. It stated that segregated schools were unconstitutional. It said that schools must work to desegregate "with all deliberate speed." This is most eaily summarized by the statement "Seperate is NOT equal". -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative action encouraged the increased representation of women and minority-group members, especially in employment. It alloed for race and gender to be looked at in order to create a more diverse environment in jobs and education. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment was another key amendment during the fight for African American Civil Rights. The 24th Amendment prohibitted any type of poll tax, literacy test, etc.. This meant that African Americans could finally vote more easily, eliminating many of the struggles they had been facing since being given the right to vote. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil RIghts Act of 1964 was a federal law that authorized federal action against segregation in public accommodations, public facilities, and employment. This created a much more mandatory need to follow the rules that had been recently put in place by new amendments. It was becoming easier and easier for African Americans to vote without opposition. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a law passed at the time of the civil rights movement. It eliminated various devices, such as literacy tests, that had traditionally been used to restrict voting by black people. It went hand-in-hand with the 24th amendment and continued to give African Americans a larger ability to vote. -
Reed v. Reed
Reed v. Reed was an important case in the fight for gay rights. As a result of this court case, the Supreme Court ruled for the first time that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibited differential treatment based on sex. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was an amendment to the US Constitution that stated that civil rights may not be denied on the basis of one's sex. This was an important step toward equal and shared rights for any and all citizens of the United States. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
This court case caused the Supreme Court to rule that race could be one factor among multiple that were used to consider a person for admissions, but it could not be the only factor considered. Because race could be considered, the ruling was the first court approval of affirmative action. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Bowers v. Hardwick was a court ruling in which the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the constitutionality of a Georgia sodomy law that criminalized sexual activity done in private between consenting adults when applied to homosexuals. It implied that homosexuals were not allowed the same privacies of heterosexuals. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibitted discrimination against a disabled person is illegal in employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and government activities. Finally, the disabled could access the same places that fully functioning Americans could with a greater ease. -
Lawrence v. Texas
Lawrence v. Texas was an important court decision that struck down the sodomy law in Texas and, by therefore invalidated sodomy laws in 13 other states, making same-sex sexual activity legal in every U.S. state and territory. It restored "bedroom privacy" to homosexuals.
