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Dred Scott v. Stanford
Dred Scott was a slave in Missouri, and later moved to Illinois from 1833-1843 which was a free state. He then moved to Louisiana, which was a free territory via the Missouri compromise. He filed a lawsuit to become a free citizen in a free territory. However, the Court ruled that a black person who was born into slavery did not have the ability to become a free citizen. -
13th Amendment
The Emancipation Proclamation did not free slaves in border states; therefore the 13th Amendment was deemed necessary. President Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment into effect after the Civil War between the North and South, which stemmed from slavery. The 13th Amendment officially ends abolishes slavery, however, it did not end discrimination. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment begins by giving the definition of American citizenship, stating that any person born within the United States is considered a citizen. The second part recognizes African Americans as a "whole person", or at least to be counted as so for reappointment purposes. The next 2 sections basically were created to prevent the Confederacy from regaining power and bringing back slavery. -
15th amendment
The 15th Amendment was created to give Black men the right to vote, stating no person should be denied the right to vote based off of race, color, or previous servitude. The Amendment was created to prevent racial discrimination in voting, however, many laws not specifying race, still prevented African American men from voting (Have to read, grandparents had to vote, etc.). -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Henry Plessy who was 7/8ths white, agreed to participate in an attempt to change Louisiana law (where he was viewed as black) for the railways, where blacks were required to sit in sperate cars. When Plessy was asked to move and refused, he was charged, and claimed it violated the 13th and 14th amendments. The Supreme Court, however, did not rule in favor of Plessy, stating that just because the cars aren't separate, doesn't mean they aren't equal; (separate but equal clause). -
Poll Taxes
Poll taxes began in the 1890s as a way to keep African Americans from voting. Everyone was required to pay the poll tax before voting, however, the "grandfather clause" applied to poorer whites (if their grandfather voted, they could vote). African Americans had no way out of paying poll tax, and more often than not, they couldn't vote. This was a tactic used by southern states to suppress black voters. -
White Primaries
To suppress black votes, Southern states would create a "one-party" system. This party would consist of whites-only, and it was the most prominent in the 1920s -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment extended voting rights to women. women suffrage supporters were protesting since the mid 19th century, and this was a huge step to having women's rights. -
Brown v Board of Education
African Americans around the country were being segregated in schools around the country (specifically the south). There were several lawsuits open, stating the segregation went against the 14th amendment's "Equal Protection Act". The Cases were dismissed due to the precedent set in the Plessy v Ferguson case. The citizens appealed these rulings to the Supreme Court, where they ultimately ruled that separation inherently makes a situation unequal, therefore, violating the 14th amendment. -
24th Amendment
After Reconstruction, there(usually). were many Jim Crow Laws, which prevented African Americans from voting. One of the main disparities came with poll taxes. African Americans couldn't pay them, and they were extremely prominent in the Southern States. The 24th Amendment prohibited poll tax, officially exemplifying Jim Crow Laws. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 officially outlawed discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This law required equal access to public areas, and employment. It also called for the desegregation of schools and the right to vote. The law did not completely end segregation; however, it was a huge step forward in the civil rights movement. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Jim Crow Laws like literacy tests, and reciting the constitution were often used to stop African Americans from voting in elections. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 required federal officials to be present at polling booths where there were larger populations of African Americans. This Act officially banned literacy tests, and other barriers that kept Black people from voting. -
Affirmative Action
This is sometimes referred to as "positive discrimination". It's the requirement to include people (or a certain number of) based on things like race, gender, nationality, etc. that they're normally discriminated against for. it was started by President Lyndon B. Johnson. -
Equal Rights Amendment
On March 22nd, 1972, The Equal Rights Amendment was passed through the US Senate. It attempted to give women equal rights on the terms of divorce, property, employment, etc. The Amendment never officially got ratified. However, women have made progress in many areas, and have achieved a wider range of equality than what they had in the 1920s. -
Regents v. Bakke
The University of California rejected Allan Bakke from their medical school at Davis. He received a higher score than some of the minorities who did make it into the school, however there was a required quota for the number of minority students admitted to the medical school. Allan claimed the quota went against the 14th amendment's "Equal Protection" Clause. The Supreme Court was torn on the cause; however, the winning vote came down to Lewis Powell who claimed it was against the 14th amendment -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Michael Hardwick got caught having sexual relations with his same-sex partner. Shortly before this, Florida passed a law against sodomy. Hardwick claimed he had the right to do what he wanted in the power of his own home. The Supreme Court came to a 5-4 decision against Hardwick, stating that nowhere in the Constitution does it protect same-sex relations. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act was officially signed as a way to legally allow people with disabilities to be viewed as more than their disability. George W. Bush officially signed the law into action in 1990 after people with disabilities protested to be treated as equals. This Act prevents discrimination in work, school etc. -
Reed v Reed
Sally and Cecil Reed both tried to be named administrator of their son's estate after their son's death. Cecil was chosen due to an Idaho Probate Code that stated, "males must be preferred to females". Sally challenged the law in court. The Court ruled that the Idaho code was unconstitutional to prefer one sex based over the other, and concluded it violated the 14th amendment under the equal protection clause. -
Motor Voter Act
This allows people to register to vote when they're issued a driver's license. it also forces states to make/ create mail-in registration. This is helpful to voter turn-out and it promotes people to register sooner than later. -
Lawrence v. Texas
John Lawrence engaged in sexual acts with his male partner. Texas criminalized certain sexual acts between same-sex couples. Police found Lawrence in the act after responding to a call about a weapons disturbance. When Lawrence went to court, Texas backed up the law by citing Bowers v Hardwick. This case made its way to the Supreme Court, and the court essentially overturned the decision made in Bowers v. Hardwick. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
A group of same-sex couples took it upon themselves to challenge the constitutionality of banning same-sex marriage under the 14th amendment's "Equal Protection Clause". They sued states banning same-sex marriage, and the cases went to the Supreme Court. The Court decided in a 5-4 majority opinion that the right to marry is one of the fundamental liberties. Same sex marriage was legalized across all states.