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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave in Missouri who lived in Illinois, a free state, for ten years before returning to Missouri, where slavery was allowed. When he returned to Missouri, he tried to file for freedom since he lived in free territory. Scott lost this case. The majority of judges claimed that an African American person could not be an American citizen and could not take someone to court. The judges then later said that Dred Scott was not emancipated, even though he lived in a free state. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment ended slavery and involuntary servitude within the United States. President Abraham Lincoln signed this amendment into existence soon after the end of the Civil War. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were collectively considered the Reconstruction Amendments. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment guaranteed citizenship to all people born or "naturalized" in the United States. The Amendment also gave all citizens equal protection of the laws. -
White Primaries
White Primaries were elections/votes where only white males were able to vote. These primaries were put in place to suppress black voting, which was fairly new at the time. This ended up hurting Republican support in the South. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment allowed for all men, no matter what race,origin, or economic status, to vote. Women, unfortunately, did not gain the right to vote until the 20th century. This Amendment was the final amendment categorized as the Reconstruction Amendments. -
Poll Taxes
Beginning in the 1890s, poll taxes were put in place mainly to prevent African Americans from voting in the South. Voters had to pay their poll tax before they could cast their ballot. There were some exemptions set in place for white voters, but there were no exemptions for African Americans. These poll taxes were set in place until the 24th Amendment was established, prohibiting a poll tax on voting. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Louisiana created the Separate Car Act, which provided separate train cars for blacks and whites. In 1892, Homer Plessy, who was 7/8ths Caucasian tried to ride in a white car. When Plessy was told to move, he refused and was then arrested. At the trial, Plessy tried to claim that the Act violated the 13th and 14th amendments. The court claimed, in simple terms, that separate but equal was still equal. The court claimed that the fact that the carts were separate doesn't mean that one is inferior. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote. Support for women's suffrage really gained support due to prominent figures such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. This amendment was ratified shortly after the first World War, and President Woodrow Wilson was trying to make important steps back home during the patriotic times. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Oliver Brown's daughter was denied enrollment in the much closer all-white school and instead had to travel much farther away to the all-black school. Along with several other families, Brown filed a lawsuit against the school board of Topeka, Kansas. They argued that this action violated the Equal Protection Clause. The court decided on the infamous, "separate but equal is not equal" ruling. This ultimately ended segregation within the school system. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment removed poll taxes from voting for federal officials and federal elections. This allows for better representation in elections since people of all economic statuses can vote without worry of spending money. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits the discrimination of people based on their race, color, religion, sex,etc. This is specifically important for people who are in the business of hiring,firing, and promoting people. Although discrimination has been an ongoing issue in the United States, this was one of the first steps taken to combat it. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965, under President Lyndon Johnson, outlawed the discriminatory voting practices set in place by states throughout the United States. One of the most famous practices was forcing people to take a literacy test before being able to vote. This was aimed mainly at uneducated African American men, which would prevent them to vote if they didn't pass the literacy test. -
Reed v. Reed
In Idaho, there was a code that said that men are preferred over women when appointing estate ownership. When Sally and Cecil Reed's son passed away, the state of Idaho gave Cecil ownership of the son's estate. Sally Reed took him to court stating that it violated the Equal Protection Clause. The court made the unanimous decision that it was unconstitutional to give the estate directly to Cecil. The court felt that this was a form of discrimination based on sex. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights amendment was put in place to prohibit discrimination based on sex. The idea of the amendment began in the early 1970s with nationwide support, mainly from feminists. This amendment came in handy when dealing with dispute issues such as divorce, property, employment,etc. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Allan Bakke applied twice for the University of California Medical School and was rejected both times. The school reserved 16 spots for incoming minorities for the school. Bakke, academically, was more qualified to be accepted than any of the minorities. Bakke took it up with the courts that he had been denied solely due to this race. Half of the court claimed that this was a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The other half claimed that the use of race as a criteria was permissible. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Michael Hardwick was found guilty of violating sodomy laws in Georgia. Hardwick challenged the ruling, which then reversed the ruling in Hardwick's favor. But, Georgia's attorney general appealed the ruling up to the Supreme Court. The court claimed that there was no constitutional protection of these actions and that states could ban these actions if they pleased. This outcome was later overruled in the early 2000s. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act was put in place in 1990 to prevent discrimination of anybody who is considered "disabled" in some way. This act is to ensure that anyone with a disability is not prevented from the same rights and opportunities as every other citizen. This act has been questioned over the past 30 years, as the definition of a disability continues to change within today's world. -
Motor Voter Act
The Motor Voter Act was put in place by President Bill Clinton in 1993. This act allowed for states to offer simplified voter registration processes. This also allows for people to register to vote while they apply for a driver's license. This act also requires states to go through certain processes to ensure that they are up to date with their voter registration lists. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action is a term referring to policies and situations where the government or organizations try to include groups that are underrepresented due to gender, race, sexuality, etc. Many people support affirmative actions because people see it as a way to connect and include groups that are not usually included in certain categories of discussion such as education or employment. Many people are in favor of using affirmative actions when discussing the representation of women. -
Lawrence v. Texas
Houston police were responding to a reported weapons disturbance when they found John Lawrence and Tyron Garner engaging in a homosexual act. They were arrested but then took their case to court. The Supreme Court made several rulings including overruling the decision made in Bowers v. Hardwick. They claimed that the Texas law violated the Due Process Clause. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Same-sex couples sued state agencies within Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee for their bans on same-sex marriages. They claimed that the states were violating the Equal Protection Clause and Due Process Clause. The court ruled that a state is required to license a marriage between same-sex couples and all states must recognize that marriage. The court claimed that denying a same-sex marriage would deny people of one of the most important liberties and wouldn't give equal legal protection.