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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Black slave Dred Scott claimed he was free due to him living in a free territory where slavery was prohibited, he decided that the odds were in his favor and that he could go and use the courts for his freedom. The case made its way to the supreme court where they decided that a enslaved people were not citizens and there for could not expect protection from the government -
13th Amendment
Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, EXCEPT for criminal punishment -
14th Amendment
Granted a natural citizenship to all born in the United States, including former slaves, as well as give them equal protection under law July 9, 1868 -
15th Amendment
Prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, and former slave status
Granted the right to vote
February 3, 1870 -
Jim Crow Era
Laws were created to separate blacks and whites, extremely racist portrayals of black Americans in public theatres -
Plessy v. Ferguson
The case where the court ruled that racial segregation laws were not violating the constitution's laws, as long as the facilities used were of the same quality, became known as the separate but equal doctrine (May 18, 1896) -
Nineteenth Amendment
Women's suffrage- Legally guarantees American women the right to vote
August 26, 1920 -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a case brought to the supreme court due to the unfair conditions that forced Black students to go through to get to school. This case overturned the separate but equal doctrine, Plessy v. Ferguson (May 17, 1954) -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin
July 2, 1964 -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Prohibits racial discrimination in voting, removes the legal barriers such as the literacy test
August 4, 1965 -
Affirmative Action Laws
For federal contractors and subcontractors, covered employers must take affirmative action to hire and promote qualified minorities, women, the disabled, and protected veterans. Positive actions include training programs, information activities and other positive actions. (September 24, 1965) -
Reed v Reed
In this case the court had to apply the 14th amendment's Equal Protection Clause to strike down a law passed in Idaho which prohibited women from being administrators -
Equal Rights Amendment
Guarantee equal right regardless of gender or sex for Americans Proposed by the National Women's party in 1923 Passes March 22, 1972 -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Dispute over preferential treatment of minorities to receive education, when other students are at a higher standing in terms of grades (June 28, 1978) -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Michael Hardwick was having consensual homosexual relations with someone in his own home, a police officer charged him of criminalized sodomy, the state of Georgia decided that there no constitutional protection for acts of sodomy, and that states could outlaw those practices (June 30, 1986) -
Americans with Disabilities Act
Guarantees equity for Americans with disabilities, specifically for Employment, Public services, Public Accommodation, Telecommunications, Miscellaneous. This act is to grant protection against discrimination due to a disability (July 26, 1990) -
Motor Voter Act
creates certain voter registration requirements, such as having a drivers license, the purpose to the make it easier for Americans to register to vote -
Lawrence v. Texas
The state of Texas tried to criminalize consensual sexual relations as it was a violation of the the Due Process Clause, Lawrence opposed it and tried against it and won. (June 26, 2003) -
obergefell v. hodges
This Amendment requires all states to license same-sex marriages and recognize all legally contracted marriages.