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Dred Scott vs. Sandford
In the Dred Scott vs. Sandford decision, the Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not American citizens, no matter if they were slaves or free men. In turn, they could not sue in federal court. The court also ruled that the rights of slaveowners was protected by the fifth amendment because slaves were seen as property and Congress could not ban slavery in the US. This decision further heightened tensions between the north and the south. -
13th Amendment
The 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States following the civil war and Abraham Lincoln's emancipation proclamation. The amendment states that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” With Georgia's ratification in 1865, three fourths of the States approved, and the amendment was added to the Constitution. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment granted citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves and guaranteed all citizens "equal protection of the laws." This amendment was passed during the Reconstruction era following the abolishing of slavery. The amendment prohibits states from depriving any person of "life, liberty, or property without due process of law." -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment gave African American men the right to vote in United States elections, stating that the right to vote could not be denied based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Though this was a major step in equality for African Americans, many polls required taxes or literacy tests to try and prevent African Americans from voting. With the right to vote, colored Americans could begin to work towards radical changes in rights for African Americans. -
Poll Taxes
Poll Taxes began in the 1890's to try and prevent poor African Americans from voting in elections after the ratification of the 15th amendment. These taxes emerged as Jim Crow laws in the United States at the time, and greatly decreased the percentage of African American voters. The taxes were an attempt to once again restrict voting rights of the minorities and poor Americans creating a voting pool of wealthy, white men. -
White Primaries
White primaries were methods used by white democrats to prevent African Americans and other minority voters. Participation in primary elections was denied to black voters. By denying the right of African Americans to participate in democratic party nominations, they were left with little political involvement. Again, white primaries are considered Jim Crow laws which further marginalized the voices of the minorities. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
In Plessy vs. Ferguson the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine was constitutional. The court stated that a law that implies "merely a legal distinction" between blacks and whites did not violate the constitution and that protections of the 14th amendment only applied to political and civil rights, not social rights. This ruling allowed Jim Crow laws to become common in places around the United States. -
19th Amendment
The 19th amendment granted women the right to vote. The idea of women's suffrage had been launched years before, beginning with the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. The amendment reads, “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 sex." On that same year, more than 8 million women voted in the elections across the United States for the first time. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
In Brown vs. Board of Education the Supreme Court overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson and ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional by the "equal protection clause" of the 14th amendment and helped establish that "separate but equal" facilities were not equal at all. Justice Earl Warren stated that separate but equal has no place in education as segregated schools are "inherently unequal." This case was vital in the beginning of the civil rights movement in the United States. -
24th Amendment
The 24th amendment outlawed poll taxes as a voting requirement in federal elections. The poll tax exemplified Jim Crow laws in the South and the ratification of the amendment made elections more accessible to the African American population as well as poorer individuals. At the ceremony formalizing the 24th amendment, President Lyndon Johnson stated that "None can be too poor to vote." -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or nationality. The Act also banned federal funding of discriminatory programs, authorized the department of education to assist with school desegregation, and prohibited unequal application of voting requirements. Martin Luther King Jr. called the Civil Rights act of 1964 "nothing less than a second emancipation." -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative action was initiated by Lyndon Johnson in order to improve opportunities for African Americans and try to limit discrimination. Improvements include employment or educational opportunities for African Americans and women. It include policies, programs, and procedures to encourage and aid minorities, including women, in job hiring, admission to college, and other social benefits. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned the use of literacy tests, provided federal oversight of voter registration in areas where less than 50% of the non-white population had not registered to vote, and authorized the US attorney general to investigate the use of poll taxes in state and local elections. The Voting Rights Act increased black voter turnout by 6 percent from in 1964 to 59 percent in 1965. -
Reed vs. Reed
Reed vs. Reed was an equal protection case in which the Supreme Court ruled that the administrators of estates cannot discriminate based on sex. The decision said that the Idaho code specifying the "males are preferred to females" was unconstitutional and that under the 14th amendment and the equal protection clause prohibited different treatment based on sex. This was the first case that extended the 14th amendment to women's rights. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The equal rights amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which guaranteed equal rights for all people, regardless of sex. It seeks to end distinctions between men and women in divorce, property, employment, and other matters. With the rise of the womens movement, the ERA gained lots of support in the US. However, the amendment was not approved by 3/4 of the States and was rejected. The government has passed other legislations protecting the rights of women. -
Regents of the University of California vs. Bakke
In UC Regents vs. Bakke the Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action was legal but invalidated the use of racial quotas. This allowed race to be one of several factors in college admission policies, but specific quotes, such as 16 out of 100 seats for minorities, were impermissible. The court claimed that the justification for affirmative action was the educational benefits of a diverse student body. -
Bowers vs. Hardwick
In Bowers vs. Hardwick the Supreme Court ruled the the Constitution does not protect the right of gay adults to engage in private, consensual sodomy. Georgia at the time had laws making sodomy illegal in the state, punishable by imprisonment of 20 years. The court claimed that the "right to privacy" as part of the due process clause did not give homosexuals the right to engage in act of sodomy. This was a major legal setback to the gay community. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in public life such as jobs, schools, and transportation. The purpose of this law is to ensure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as other people. The act also requires employers to provide accommodations for people with disabilities and imposes accessibility requirements on public accommodations. -
Lawerence vs. Texas
In Lawerence vs. Texas, the Supreme Court ruled that a Texas state law which criminalized intimate sexual conduct between consenting adults of the same sex was unconstitutional. The decision overturned Bowers vs. Harwick(1986). Gay rights activists view the verdict as a historic day for civil rights. Many view the Lawerence vs. Texas decision closed a door on an era of intolerance in America, and called for a new respect of gay Americans. -
Obergefell vs. Hodges
In the Obergefell vs. Hodge decision the US Supreme Court ruled that bans on same sex marriages and on recognizing same-sex marriages duly performed in other jurisdictions are unconstitutional under the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. The case requires all 50 states and the district of Columbia to perform and recognize same sex marriages as equal as opposite-sex couples.
