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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Supreme Court ruled that Americans of African descent, whether free or slave, were not American citizens and could not sue in federal court. -
13th Amendment
Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime. -
14th Amendment
Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and guaranteed all citizens “equal protection of the laws. -
15th Amendment
Granted African American men the right to vote. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
The court ruled that racial segregation laws did not violate the U.S. Constitution as long as the facilities for each race were equal in quality, known as "separate but equal". -
19th Amendment
Granted women the right to vote. -
White Primaries
Primary elections were held in the Southern United States in which only white voters were permitted to participate. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The court ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregated schools are otherwise equal in quality. -
Poll Taxes
A poll tax is a tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual (typically every adult), without reference to income or resources. -
24th Amendment
The Court outlawed the poll tax as a voting requirement in federal elections. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. -
Affirmative Action
A set of procedures designed to eliminate unlawful discrimination among applicants, remedy the results of such prior discrimination, and prevent such discrimination in the future. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Outlawed the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War, including literacy tests as a requirement to vote. -
Reed v. Reed
The Court applied the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to strike down a law that discriminated against women. -
Equal Rights Amendment
Guaranteed equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Affirmative action programs that take race into account can continue to play a role in the college admissions process, since creating a diverse classroom environment is a compelling state interest under the Fourteenth Amendment. State universities go too far, however, when they set a certain quota for the number of minority students who enroll. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
The Court ruled the Fourteenth Amendment does not prevent a state from criminalizing private sexual conduct involving same-sex couples. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
Prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in everyday activities, including medical services. -
Motor Voter Act
Made it easier for all Americans to register to vote and to maintain their registration. -
Lawrence v. Texas
Invalidated sodomy law across the United States, making same-sex sexual activity legal in every State. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
The fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause.