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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Based on Missouri statutes, Dred Scott argued that by entering the state, he had been granted freedom. The Supreme Court ruled against Scott, which lead to them being locked into slavery. -
13th Amendment
Passed after the Civil War as part of the Reconstruction Amendments, the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States. It was one of the first major victories for the Civil Rights movement. -
14th Amendment
The second of the Reconstruction Amendments, this one focus on securing the rights of the newly freed slaves from the 13th amendment. Under it, states may not deprive anyone of "life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." -
15th Amendment
The third and final Reconstruction Amendment, the 15th amendment guarantees the right to vote to all people of color and previous slaves, saying: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” -
Poll Taxes
While poll taxes were in place in some states prior to the Civil War, many states instated them in tandem with Jim Crow Laws to limit the voting rights of ex-slaves and, inadvertently, poor people. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Fergeson ruled he famous "Separate but Equal" ruling which led to many segregated yet unequal facilities. -
19th Amendment
This amendment granted women the right to vote after nearly 100 years of protest. The Seneca Falls Convention played a large part in this amendment. -
White Primaries
Used to reduce the power of African Americans as they gained more power, white primaries were primary elections that only allowed white people to vote. These were ruled unconstitutional at first, as it was at the state level, but then the primaries were delegated to the Texas Democratic Party, after which the Supreme Court allowed it until 1944 where it was abolished. -
Brown v. Board
Brown v. Board reversed the ruling from Plessy v. Ferguson. It ruled that segregation was unconstitutional and ended it. -
24th Amendment
Following the passing of the Reconstruction amendments, many states still sought to discriminate against the new voters. Thus, the poll tax was instated to place a financial burden many ex-slaves could not bear. The 24th Amendment outlawed these unjust poll taxes. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Proposed by John F. Kennedy, the Civil Rights Act sought to eliminate segregation in public places and end employment discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It was signed into law be Lyndon B. Johnson. -
Voting Rights Act
Signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson, the Voting Rights Act moved to secure the rights of African-Americans to vote that were being infringed upon by things such as literacy tests at the polls. -
Reed v. Reed
Ruled against an Idaho Code that preferred males to females in administration of estate. It ruled that the 14th amendment applied to discrimination based on sex. -
Regents of the University of Calfornia v. Bakke
Allan Bakke was rejected from California Medical school twice, which he believed was on the basis of him being a white man in contest to less qualified minorities. The court ordered the school to accept him. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Hardwick was seen performing consensual homosexual sodomy in his home, which violated Georgia law. The court ruled that this discriminatory act was legal. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act was designed to prohibit discrimination against disabled individuals and help improve the quality of their lives in public life. -
Affirmative Action
The favoring of previously discriminated against individuals. -
Lawrence v. Texas
Another case where an officer observed two men engaging in sexual acts. The court this time ruled against the Texas statute, believing it violated the Due Process Clause -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment is a proposed amendment designed to guarantee equal rights for all sexes. It reached full number of states for ratification, but opponents say the deadline is passed.
