-
Dred Scott vs. Sandford
Court decision that impacted the nation, U.S supreme court upheld slavery in united states territories, denied the legality of black citizenship in America, and declared the Missouri Compromise to be unconstitutional. -
13th amendment
officially ended the institution of slavery. Allowed for African Americans to be seen and protected under the constitution. -
14th Amendment
14th amendment was the centerpiece of the reconstruction amendments, which together abolished slavery, gave African-American men the right to vote, and guaranteed full citizenship, due process, and equal protection of the laws to all. Also has been impactful to recent court hearings. -
15th Amendment
Gave African American men the right to vote. This gave them the opportunity to run for office and voting. -
White Primaries
A state primary election that restricts voting to white only used by southern states to disenfranchise African Americans. -
Plessy Vs. Ferguson
Verdict enshrined the doctrine of "separate but equal" as a constitutional justification for segregation, ensuring the survival of the Jim Crow south for the next half century. -
19th Amendment
Granted women the right to vote. Legally guarantees American women the right to vote. Women were now empowered to persuade political elections and impact the system. -
Equal Rights Amendment
Effort to secure full legal distinctions between men and women in terms of divorce, property, employment, and other matters. Prohibits sexual discrimination in the same way we have prohibited discrimination on the base of race and religion. -
Brown V. Board of Education
Ruled that separating children in public schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional. It signaled the end of legalized racial segregation in the schools of the united states, overruling the separate but equal principle set forth in Plessy v Ferguson. -
24th Amendment
The house passed this amendment outlawing the poll tax as a voting requirement in federal elections, by a vote of 295 to 86. At the time 5 states maintained poll taxes that negatively affected African Americans. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act outlawed segregation in public areas and granted the federal government power to fight black disfranchisement. Act also created the equal employment opportunity commission to prevent discrimination in the work place. -
Poll Taxes
Also known as a head tax, is a tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual without reference to income or resources. Poll taxes were important sources of revenue for many governments. -
Affirmative Action
A set of procedures designed to eliminate unlawful discrimination among applicants. remedy the results of such prior discrimination and prevent discrimination in the future. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act made racial, religious, and sex discrimination by employers illegal and gave the government power to enforce all laws governing civil rights, including desegregation of schools and public places. -
Reed v. Reed
Marked the first time in history that the court applied the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment to strike down a law that discriminated against women. Women were being treated unequally under the law in Reed. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
University's admissions criteria which used race as a definite and exclusive basis for an admission decision violated the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment and violated the civil rights act of 1964. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Constitutionality of a Georgia sodomy law criminalizing oral and anal sex in private between consenting adults. Fourteenth amendment does not prevent a state from criminalizing private sexual conduct involving same sex couples. -
Americans With Disabilities Act
Prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in several areas, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and access to state and local government programs and services. -
Motor Voter Act
National voter registration sets forth certain voter registration requirements with respect to elections for federal office. Allowing people to vote when they got their license or renewed. -
Lawrence v. Texas
Most sanctions of criminal punishment for consensual, adult non-procreative sexual activity are unconstitutional. Invalidated sodomy law across the united states, making same sex sexual activity legal in every state and united states territory. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
All same sex couples are guaranteed the right to marry , which extended legal marriage recognition to same sex couples throughout the united states. Due process and equal protection clause helped this decision.