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Dred Scott VS Sandford
In Dred Scott VS Sandford, the case was all based on African American rights. A slave, known as Dred Scott, challenged the Supreme Court in an attempt to fight for his freedom. The Supreme Court ruled that Dred Scott was not valid for freedom. On top of that, the Court ruled that all African Americans were property and don't have the right to freedom in America. -
The 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was the amendment that finally abolished slavery in the United States. This amendment changed America for the better. All African Americans have a right to their freedom, and slavery is no longer allowed. Not only was slavery abolished, but the act of involuntary servitude was outlawed as well. -
The 14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment granted all people who were born in the United States, including former slaves, with full citizenship. Another part of the 14th Amendment is access to equal protection of the laws. This Amendment was passed as one of the 3 Reconstruction Amendments. -
The 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment was the final Reconstruction Amendment out of the 3 made. The 15th Amendment stated that the government cannot prohibit any person from voting based on their race or the color of their skin. All former enslaved people now have a right to vote due to the creation of this amendment. -
Plessy VS Ferguson
Plessy VS Ferguson was an extremely important case for civil rights in the United States. The case ruled that segregation is legal, but only under the "separate but equal" doctrine. Meaning, black and white people can be separated only if they have equal conditions and facilities. This case further led to restrictive Jim Crow laws, and the term "separate but equal" doesn't really apply anymore because black people were under much worse conditions than whites. -
The 19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment guaranteed that women were finally able to vote in the United States. It states that the United States or the states cannot deny someone the right to vote based on gender. -
Brown VS Board of Education
In the Brown VS Board of Education case, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, even if they had equal conditions. This was a huge turning point for the civil rights movement because it provided all African American students equal opportunity to a good education. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation. You could no longer discriminate anyone in any type of way based on their race, sex, color, or religion. One of the major achievements of this movement was the decrease in job discrimination. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed racially discriminatory voting practices. It banned all southern states from using things like literacy tests and other testing methods in order to keep blacks from voting. It protected the voting rights of all Americans. -
Reed VS Reed
Reed VS Reed was one of the first major Supreme Court cases that focused on the discrimination of gender in the workplace. There was a state law in Idaho that necessitated a man must be in the position of administrator of an estate even if a woman was equally qualified. This law was eliminated and the Supreme Court said that discrimination based on gender was unconstitutional. -
Title IX
Title IX is a civil rights act that focuses on the discrimination of sex. The law was passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits any sexual discrimination in education programs or activities, especially those where a student can receive financial assistance. -
Regents of the University of California VS Bakke
In the Regents of the University of California VS Bakke, the Supreme Court decided that racial quotas were unconstitutional and that they violated they 14th amendment. Now, minorities have a higher priority in college admissions than they did before. This case helped define the boundaries of the equal protection clause. The Supreme Court also ruled that Bakke must be admitted to the University of California. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act, also known as the ADA, is a civil rights law that protects the rights of individuals with disabilities. It specifically focuses on prohibiting discrimination in the work place, public gatherings and activities, transportation services, and access to state and local government programs. -
Obergefell VS Hodges
Obergefell VS Hodges is a Supreme Court civil rights case that focused on same-sex couples. The court ruled that state laws against the marriage of same sex couples was unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. Now, everyone can marry anyone they please.
