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Dred Scott vs. Sanford
Dred Scott was a slave in Missouri. He was purchased by John Emerson who moved him to Illinois, which is a free state. After Emerosn died, Dred Scott and his family were left to his wife, Eliza Irene Sanford. Dred Scott tried to buy his freedom from Sanford in which she refused so he sued her, arguing that since he had lived in free territories, he should be legally free. The court ruled that slaves were property and that moving to a free state did not make Dred Scott a free man. -
13th Amendment
The thirteenth amendment abolished slavery, except in the case of punishment for a crime. -
14th Amendment
The fourteenth amendment granted citizenship and equal civil and legal rights for all African Americans -
15th Amendment
Granted African American men the right to vote. -
White Primaries
White primaries were special elections held in the south which only permitted white voters to vote. They tried passing laws and constitutions that restricted voter registration. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
Started when African American train passenger Homer Plessy refused to sit on the car that was for African Americans. The supreme court ruled that Plessy's rights were not violated under the "separate but equal" doctrine. -
19th Amendment
The 19th amendment made it unconstitutional for states to deny voting rights based on sex. This amendment made it legal for women to vote. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Supreme court case in which justices ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional. In the lawsuit, brown claimed that schools for African American children were not equal to that of white children which violated the 14th amendment in which its stated that citizens can not be denied equal protection of the laws by the state. -
Affirmative Action
Signed by John F Kennedy which included a provision that government contractors "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color or national origin." -
24th Amendment
The 24th amendment allowed citizens voting rights without having to pay the poll tax, making it free to be able to vote. -
Poll Taxes
After voting rights were extended beyond race by the 15th amendment, poll taxes were put in place to restrict certain people from voting. The 24th amendment was ratified on January 23, 1964, getting rid of poll taxes. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation and outlawed employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 removed the standards that made it difficult for African Americans to vote such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and other barriers. -
Reed vs. Reed
Reed vs. Reed was an equal protection case in which the supreme court ruled that the administrators on the estates can not be named in a way that discriminates against sex. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment is an amendment added to the constitution that was designed to guarantee equal rights to all United States citizens regardless of sex. -
Regents of the University of California vs. Bakke
Alan Bakke was denied administration to University of California two times because he was a 35-year-old white man applying to an African American college. Supreme court ruled that a universities use of racial quotas was unconstitutional. -
Bowers vs Hardwick
Hardwick was charged with violating the Georgia statute criminalizing sodomy by being involved in the act with another male in his bedroom in his own home. Hardwick took it to court arguing that its unconstitutional to punish him for a consensual act. Ruling was overturned in Lawrence vs. Texas. -
Americans With Disabilities Act
The Americans With Disabilities Act is a law that was passed to protect discrimination against people with disabilities. -
Lawrence vs. Texas
Supreme court ruled that American laws prohibiting private homosexual activity between consenting adults was unconstitutional. -
Obergefell vs. Hodges
Landmark civil rights case in which the supreme court ruled that the right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples.
