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Dred Scott v. Sandford
This case held that slaves were not American citizens and had no due process rights. It also held that Congress could not prohibit slavery in violation of property rights. This was a major case leading up to the Civil War and only increased tensions. The 7-2 decision was overruled by the civil war amendments -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment outlawed slavery or involuntary servitude in the United States, unless as punishment for crimes. This was a direct response to the Civil War and greatly expanded Civil Rights. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment establishes citizenship for African Americans and those born in the United States. It also creates equal rights for citizens of the several states, and creates the equal protection clause. It also eliminated the 3/5ths compromise. The 14th Amendment is routinely used in court cases today, such as Obergefell v. Hodges, to expand Civil Rights, and has been used frequently in the past to protect African American Civil Rights -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment gives the right for all men to vote, regardless of race. This greatly expanded the electorate, which still impacts elections today. -
Poll Taxes
Poll Taxes were widely implemented in southern states following the Civil War amendments. They were made in design to prevent the poor from voting, many of whom were African American. They were officially outlawed in 1966 -
White Primaries
White primaries were political primaries that prohibited the voting participation of minority groups. These were commonly used in southern states, where only allowing white citizens to vote would be effective at constraining the rights of African Americans. These were ruled unconstitutional in Smith v. Allwright -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson ruled that separate but equal facilities were constitutional. This set supreme court precedent for Jim Crow laws and racial discrimination in the south. This decision was overruled in Brown v. Board of Education. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment prohibited discrimination in voting based on sex. This overcame a huge barrier by allowing women the right to vote, something they had been fighting to gain for a long time. This was a major turning point in expanding the right to vote. -
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
The Equal Rights Amendment was proposed in Congress initially in 1921, but reintroduced in 1971. The proposed Amendment would ban discrimination on the basis of sex in law. It is still debated today for future ratification. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education ruled that separate but equal facilities were unconstitutional, as they were unequal by default. It also ruled that segregation violated the 14th Amendment. This was a major landmark case, and overturned Plessy v. Ferguson -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action are programs designed to give more education rights for groups of people who were discriminated in the past. This program was designed to promote success for discriminated groups, specifically in employment and education. it was first created by President John F. Kennedy and still exist to this day. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment prohibits the states or the federal government from establishing poll taxes. This allowed another expansion of the electorate. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Prohibits discrimination based on race, skin color, religion, sex, or national origin. This was extremely influential in ending racial segregation in the United States, specifically for public facilities. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act from congress banned racial discrimination in voting. it banned literacy tests and other discriminatory practices to restrict the African American vote. The law still stands and is effective today. -
Reed v. Reed
Reed v. Reed overturned an Idaho state law that stated that men were favored over women in administrating estates or land. This established a 14th Amendment precedent that the preference of one sex over the other is unconstitutional. This was widely influential in building precedent in these types of cases -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
This case ruled that race was allowed to be a factor in the college admission process. It also struck down racial quotas as unconstitutional. This is significant as is allows current affirmative action programs to exist, and encourage racial diversity on college campuses -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Ruled that Sodomy laws in Georgia were constitutional. This was a significant ruling in states ability to constrict gay rights for private actions. It was overturned by Lawrence v. Texas. -
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
This law prohibited discrimination on people with disabilities. It also prohibited workplaces from discrimination in the workforce based on disability, and set guidelines for access in public areas. This is one of more recent expansions of civil liberties, and impacts millions of businesses today. -
Lawrence v. Texas
The case ruled that sodomy laws in Texas were unconstitutional, and set precedent for national legalization consensual adult homosexual activity. The overturned Bowers v. Hardwick, and is still precedent.
