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13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States. -
14th Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment basically ensured that all citizens of the United States were guaranteed the rights of life, liberty, and property, and outlawed the states from creating laws abridging these rights. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment prohibited states from creating laws abridging the right to vote on the basis of race. -
Poll Taxes
Poll taxes were enacted following the 15th Amendment as a way to prevent African Americans from voting. Though states could not outlaw African Americans from voting, they could make it difficult for poor blacks from voting by placing taxes on voting. These taxes persisted until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed them. -
Literacy Test
Following the 15th Amendment, states sought ways to keep African Americans from voting. A literacy test was one such method. This test required voters to pass a test that determined whether they were "literate" by a state's individual standard. This was abused and bent to make it difficult for poor, uneducated African Americans to vote. It lasted until 1965, when the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
A landmark case for the U.S. Supreme Court that ruled segregated facilities were okay as they were “separate but equal.” The case came about because an African American man named Homer Plessy was arrested for getting on a ‘white’ train car instead of the ‘African American’ one. He took his case to the Supreme Court, and ‘separate but equal’ came about. This case was eventually overruled by Brown v. Board of Education. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment prohibited states from keeping people from voting on the basis of sex -
Korematsu v. United States
During World War II, Presidential Executive Order 9066 allowed the military to round up all Japanese Americans and force them into internment camps. Fred Korematsu was a Japanese American who decided to stay in California. He was arrested and challenged that the Executive Order violated the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court sided with the U.S. and said that it wasn't based on racial prejudice but protection of the United States. -
Sweatt v. Painter
Hermann Sweatt was a black man who was denied admittance to the University of Texas Law School based on his race. Painter was offered admission to a different law school they deemed to be ‘separate but equal'. The court ruled that the alternate school was not equal. The court also ruled that experience must be considered when accepting applications. This case struck down the idea that “separate but equal” was acceptable and set a precedent that would be influential in Brown v Board of Education -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education decided that separate public schools for black and white students was unconstitutional. The case came about because 13 Topeka, Kansas parents filed a lawsuit against the Topeka Board of Education. In that lawsuit, they lost and the court cited Plessy v. Ferguson as the precedent they were upholding. The Supreme Court overturned the first decision and Plessy v. Ferguson however it failed to spell out how to actually desegregate the schools. -
Montgomery Bus Boycotts
The Montgomery Bus Boycotts were the boycotts of Alabama bus services to protest segregated seating. This protest shortly followed Rosa Park's refusal to give up her seat to a white man, and her subsequent arrest. This was one of the largest nonviolent protests that African Americans took part in to protest segregation. It took place from December 5th, 1955 to December 20, 1956. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative action was created from Executive Order 10925 which required government employers to "not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin" and to make sure that everyone is treated equally regardless of race, creed, color, etc. It has been sited in many Supreme Court cases especially when universities are accused of being descriminative when considering applicantsand judging based on financial criteria or race. -
JFK Address to the Nation on Civil Rights
This speech was one of JFK's most dramatic and significant speeches of his presidency. In this speech, JFK proposed legislation that would later lead to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In this speech, JFK transformed Civil Rights from a political issue to a moral one, and asserted that he would combat discrimination. -
De Jure / De Facto Segregation
De Jure Segregation is segregation by law. This is seen from 1875 to 1964, which is when the Civil Rights Act was passed and segregation was outlawed. Following 1964, the only legal segregation was De Facto segregation, which is segregation by choice. Often thought of as the "cafeteria" segregation, De Facto segregation is the voluntary grouping of people based on shared culture, experiences, and race. This has lasted into the present. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment outlawed mandatory poll taxes, or any other type of tax when voting. These laws were typically created to prevent African Americans from voting, so this Amendment sought to truly equalize voting rights. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act outlawed discrimination based on race color, religion, sex, or national origin. It prohibited unfair voting requirements, school segregation, segregated employment, and segregated public accommodations. This act was passed through use of the 14th and 15th Amendments, as well as through Congress' power to regulate interstate commerce. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was created to enforce the 14th and 15th Amendments. This act was expanded five times to offer broader protections and prevent states from keeping African Americans from voting based on racial or language "insufficiencies." -
Robert Kennedy Speech in Indianapolis Upon the Death of MLK
Kennedy's speech in Indianapolis is often considered one of the greatest public addresses in the modern era. Following the death of MLK, Kennedy gave a public address in a black ghetto of Indianapolis. Expecting a political campaign speech, many were surprised when Kennedy changed gears and spoke instead on behalf of MLK. This offered one of the first obvious signs of JFK's dedication to the battle of African American Civil Rights. -
Reed v. Reed
Sally and Cecily Reed were a separated couple who both filed for ownership of their deceased son’s estate. The Idaho court gave Cecil the estate because Idaho code rules that "males must be preferred to females". Sally took this case to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court decided that the Idaho code was unconstitutional. The court ruled for the first time that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment said people couldn’t decide things based on gender. -
Equal Rights Amendment
An amendment proposed first in 1923 by feminists of the National Women’s Party. The amendment sets equal rights for all Americans regardless of sex. The amendment was passed by Congress in 1972 and was sent to the states to ratify. The amendment fell three states short of ratification due to people having cold feet from the realness of women becoming individual people. Since it was proposed in 1923 until its ratification, and even today, the amendment has been highly debated. -
Title IX
A federal law that protects people from discrimination based on sex. The law applies to educational programs or activities that receive federal funding. In the case of public universities, an example would be athletic activities. Title IX enforces that if a men’s sport receives an amount of federal funding, a female sport must receive an equal amount. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Allen Bakke applied to the University of California’s Medical School twice. Both times he was denied admission. The University reserves 16 places in each class for minorities so they don’t receive discrimination. Bakke claimed that he was being denied admittance solely on the basis of his race because he had a better GPA and test scores than all the minorities admitted. The Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action was constitutional but decided that racial quotas were not allowed. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Michael Hardwick was observed by a Georgia police officer engaing in homosexual sodomy acts in his bedroom. He was charged with violating a Georgia law that outlaws sodomy. The case was taken to the SC and the SC ruled that sodomy wasn't protected by the Constitution so states could make their own laws about it. The decision made no distinction between homosexual or heterosexual sodomy but people believed the decision targeted homosexuals. The decision would be overturned by Lawrence v. Texas. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
A law that protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination in jobs, school, transportation, and spaces that are open to the general public even if they are private. It focused on making sure people with disabilities receive equal rights. This enacted change in ways like making hotels, restaurants, schools, and other private/publicly owned businesses used by the public focus on making their buildings accessible for those with disabilities. -
Lawrence v. Texas
Two men were seen engaging in sexual acts by a police officer who was in the home looking for weapons. The men were arrested based on a Texas statue that banned homeosexuals from engaging in sexual conduct. When the case was taken to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex sexual activity was legal in every U.S. state and struct down the previous anti-sodomy presedence set by Bowers v. Hardwick. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
A landmark case that ruled the right to marry for same-sex couples was a fundamental right thanks to the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The case requires that states give licenses to same-sex couples who want to marry and that states recognize same sex marriages if they're licensed between states. Obergefell v. Hodges overturned the previous decision of Baker v. Nelson. -
Fisher v. Texas
A Texas law required the University of Texas to admit all applicant who were in the top 10% of their high school class. All other students would be judged with race considered. Abigail Fisher (who wasn't in the top 10%) applied to the university and wasn't admitted. She argued that the university's decision was a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court sided with the district courts and said that the university was just trying to ensure diversity.
