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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave in Missouri and lived in Illinois and Louisiana Territory from 1833 to 1843. He filed suit for his freedom in Missouri court. The majority ruled that African Americans who were sold as slaves and could never be Americans citizens and could not have a standing to sue in federal court. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was passed at the end of the Civil War. This was after the Emancipation Proclamation as it did not end slavery in other places other than the Confederate rebellious states. The amendment guaranteed the abolishment of slavery. -
14th Amendment
All people born in the United States automatically become citizens. In addition no laws can be made and enforced that abridge rights and immunities of citizenship. This amendment went along with the 13th and the 15th that expanded the civil rights of Americans. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment states that African American me can now vote. However, Jim Crow laws, grandfather clause and literacy tests all made voting nearly impossible for African American men to vote. This was the last amendment to be passed of the trio of Amendments to push for civil rights along with the 13th and 14th. -
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Jim Crow Era
This era was about the disenfranchisement and segregation following the civil war. Electoral Laws where passed to prevent blacks from voting. For example: white primary; poll tax; literacy test; and the grandfather clause. -
Plessy v Ferguson
Homer Plessy was solicited by the Comite des Citoyens who wanted to repeal the Separate Car Act in 1892. He sat in the whites only car and refused to leave. The majority ruled that separate but equal was allowed. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment states that the right to vote of citizens cannot be denied on the account of sex. This gave women the right to vote. This amendment was first proposed to congress in 1878. It took 42 years for women to gain the right to vote. It took another 45 years after that for African Americans to secure the right to vote. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown went to an interior black school and wanted to attend the white school. This cased overruled Plessy v. Ferguson and stated that separate but equal is not constitutional and that schools and other places should not be segregated. This case was also a culmination of other similar cases based of segregation at public schools on the basis of race. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act states that discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin is prohibited. It also strengthened the enforcement of voting rights for colored people helped the desegregation of schools. -
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Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action involves policies and practices that seek to include a particular group based on gender, race, etc, to help balance representation. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act states that no voting qualifications, or procedures should be used to deny the right of citizens to vote on the account of race or color. This helped eliminate voter discrimination and finally allowed for black voters to participate in elections. -
Reed v. Reed
The Idaho Probate Code specified that "males must be preferred to females" in appointing administrators of estates. After Sally Reed and Cecil Reed (who are separated) son's passing, they sought to be the named administrator of his estate. In an unanimous decision the court determined that the Idaho Probate Code is unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment states the equality of rights shall not be denied on account of sex. However, this amendment was only proposed and still has not passed. It was first passed in 1972 and had originally seven years to be ratified in 38 states total but fell short in 1978 with 35. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Allan Bakke applied twice at the University of California Medical School at Davis & was rejected both times due to affirmative action. The school reserved 16 places in the class of 100. His qualifications exceed those of the minority students. The majority ruled that he should be accepted based on his credentials. Half stated that any racial quota system is violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the others ruled that affirmative action is valid. This case vailed affirmative action. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
The court ruled for Bowers in that there is no constitutional protection for acts of sodomy. This ruling made homosexuality illegal. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This act establishes that discrimination based on disability is prohibited. The goal is to have people with disabilities be able to participate in everyday commercial, economic, and social activities. -
Motor Voter Act
The NVRA allows for new voters to be able to register to vote much easier than before. The DMV will sent the application and registration. New voters no longer have to directly register and go through extra steps. -
Lawrence v. Texas
Due Process Clause was violated by the Texas statute that stated homosexuality is illegal. Bowers v. Hardwick was overturned. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
The majority ruled that same sex couples under the 14th Amendment under the due Process Clause guarantees marriage. This cause guarantees protection of same sex couples in the United States.