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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave from Missouri who lived in Illinois for some time. At the time, the Missouri Compromise of 1820 forbid slavery in the Louisiana Territory, so Scott filed a lawsuit, claiming he was a free man. The case went to federal court, where it was decided that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional and that slaves were considered property and could not be freed under the Fifth Amendment. -
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Civil Rights at a Glance
A quick look at the Civil Rights Movement with all the major events, including the good and the bad, that have created our society today. -
13th Amendment
The 13th amendment is most famously known for abolishing slavery, but that is not all that it did. It also stated that all involuntary servitude or slavery was also illegal, except as a punishment for a crime. Some may wonder why the 13 amendment was so important when we had the Emancipation Proclamation, but the Emancipation Proclamation only freed slaves in 11 states. Now slavery was abolished everywhere in the United States. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment gave citizenship and equal voting rights to African American men. The amendment not only states that African American men are citizens just as much as white men were but it also gave them a voice in the justice system. It also ensured “equal protection” which was also unfortunately not upheld by some but it was a huge step in equal treatment and equal protection under the law. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment states that states can’t deny someone the right to vote based off of one’s color or race. It also states that Congress can enforce this amendment by whatever means necessary. This amendment ensured that states (mostly targeted at the South) were not prohibiting or denying African American men their right to vote that they worked for and earned under the 14th amendment. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
In 1892, Homer Plessy, who was ⅞ caucasian, was boycotting the Separate Car Act that required train cars to be segregated. He sat in the “whites only” car, causing him to be arrested and taken to court. Plessy argued that the act violated the 13th and 14th amendments, but was still convicted. This court case established the “separate but equal clause” that allowed racial segregation as long as both races were treated equally. -
White Primaries
White Primaries were one of the many tactics used by states that supported segregation in order to disenfranchise black and other minority voters. White primaries allowed while people to ensure black candidates did not get voted into office as well. These primaries were outlawed in 1908, while other measures such as literacy tests and poll taxes were abolished with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. -
19th Amendment
The 19th amendment stated that the right to vote can’t be denied on the account of sex. This amendment gave women the right to vote and also stated that states could not deny them this right. This is one of the first examples of women having a voice and say in what happens in the federal government and this was so important because they did not have a vote or even an opinion that was heard before this point. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This case originated in Topeka, KS. The main argument made in this case is that segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The lawyer for the plaintiffs was Thurgood Marshall, who used results from the “Doll Study” to argue that racial segregation in schools instlled inferiority among black children, leading to psychological damage. It was then decided that the “separate but equal” clause was unconstitutional and schools must not be segregated. -
24th Amendment
The 24th amendment basically eliminated poll tax as a means of restriction against those who couldn’t afford to vote. Previously, only people who had the money could vote which is extremely biased because sometimes the rich may all lean a certain way. Additionally, people who couldn’t afford to vote (at the time it was mostly African Americans) were being targeted and they didn’t have a say. The prohibition of poll taxes was very important because it gave equal opportunity for voters. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was extremely important to the Civil Rights movement and labor laws because it made sure that people could not be discriminated against based off race, color, religion, sex, or national origin (ended employment discrimination). It also makes sure that there is no segregation of public places such as schools, public accommodations, and of companies and employment in general. This is important because it was a major legislative act that ensured equal treatment. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 eliminated previous barriers that were preventing African Americans from voting. This includes discriminatory voting practices such as the literacy tests that made it extremely difficult for African Americans to vote. Although African Americans could already vote, there were no prior acts or legislature passed that specifically told states that what they were doing was wrong. -
Poll Taxes
A poll tax is a tax that is required from every person in order to vote and the origins of poll taxes trace back to the early 1890’s. These amounts though were varied and were rarely, if ever justified. This was just another way to try and prevent African Americans from voting. With the ratification of the 24th amendment in 1964, poll taxes were eliminated and declared unconstitutional. -
Reed v. Reed
The Idaho Probate Code specified that “males must be preferred over females” when deciding administrators of estate, so Sally Reed took this issue to court when her ex-husband got rights to the estate. Reed argued that this policy violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The Idaho Probate Code was deemed unconstitutional for the unequal treatment between sexes and the legislation was repealed. -
Equal Rights Amendment
This amendment allowed for equal legal rights among people, regardless of sex. The purpose was to make things like divorce, property disputes, and employment much more equal for males and females. This is the 27th Amendment to the US Constitution. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Allan Bakke applied for medical school at U.C. Davis but was rejected twice because the school had reserved sixteen spaces for racial minority students in order to enforce affirmative action. This case was taken all the way to the Supreme Court, under the allegation that Bakke was rejected solely based on race. It was decided that racial quotas violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, but the use of affirmative action was acceptable. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Two men in Georgia were caught engaging in a consensual sexual act by a police officer in the bedroom of their own home. At this time, homosexual acts were illegal, so the men were charged and this case was take to court. After some debate, it was decided that the Constitution does not allocate protection for sexual acts, so states can outlaw homosexual sodomy. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law that essentially protects Americans who have various disabilities in all private and public places. This includes aspects of public life such as transportation, jobs, and schools. The act was made to make sure that people with disabilities are treated equal and are given the same rights as everyone else. This act was extremely important because it showed that people with disabilities are valued just as much as everyone else in society. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action is efforts made by the government to support minorities, in order to diminish discrimination in the workplace, educational settings, etc. This effort began at the beginning of the Reconstruction Era, but was really pushed forward by the Civil Rights act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. -
Lawrence v. Texas
After being caught is a consensual sexual act by police while in their apartment, John Lawrence and Tyron Garner were convicted of deviate sexual conduct; as the time, homosexual conduct was illegal in Texas. However, it was found that the ban was unconstitutional because it violated the Due Process clause of the 14th Amendment. Justice Kennedy stated that "Texas statute furthers no legitimate state interest which can justify its intrusion into the personal and private life of the individual." -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Many same sex couple sued state agencies in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee for not legally recognize their marriages that occured in states where it was legal.They challenged these state legislations, arguing that it violated the 14th amendment and the Civil Rights Act. Although many of the judges agreed with this claim, they decided that because the Constitution does not address same-sex marriages, it is up to states to decide these legislations.
