-
Dred Scott v Sandford
Landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court in which held that African Americans, whether slave or free, could not be American citizens. This therefore concluded that African Americans had no standing to sue in federal court, and that the federal government had no power to regulate slavery in the federal territories, Dred Scott who had attempted to sue for his freedom, therefore had no case. -
Thirteenth Amendment
Amendment to the United States of Consititution. This amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. It was the first of three Reconstruction Amendments. -
Fourteenth Amendment
This amendment was the second of the Reconstruction Amendments. The amendment addresses citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws, and was proposed in response to issues related to former slaves following the American Civil War. States that all citizens of the United States must be treated equally under the law. This amendment also was used to incorporate a majority the Bill of Rights to the States. -
Fifteenth Amendment
Prohibits the federal and state governments from denying the right to vote from any citizen based on that citizens "race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It was the third Reconstruction Amendment. it did not allow women to vote because denying the right to vote on the basis of gender was constitutional. -
Poll Taxes
Poll taxes were put in place as a measure to inhibit African Americans' right to vote. They were often too expensive for the average African American citizen to pay, therefore leaving them incapable of voting. Poll taxes were used in conjuction with white pimaries, literacy tests, and the grandfather clause to inhibit the voting abilities of African Americans. -
White Primaries
White primaries forbade African Americans from voting in primary elections. This meant that no African Americans were elected in primaries. This then pushed African American voters away during elections. -
Plessy v Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was a Supreme Court case that set the standard of seperate but equal. It said that as long as facilities were equal, segregation was legal. This ruling was later overturned. -
Nineteenth Amendment
The 19th Amendment stated that no person could be denied the right to vote based on their gender. This was important because the states were granted the right to set voting laws. This meant that prior to the 19th amendment being set in place, women were not permitted the right to vote by the states. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was an amendment that was proposed to give women the same rights as males. The amendment passed through the Congress. It never passed because it failed to attain the required approval of the states. -
Brown v Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision. It stated that schools could no longer be segregated. It declared that "seperate but equal" was no longer applicable because seperate was never truly equal. -
Affirmative Action
Used to promote actions that acheive non-discrimination. Started by Lyndon B Johnson with executive order 11246. It is intended to promote the oppurtunities of defined minority groups within society to give them equal access to that of the privileged majority. -
Twenty-fourth Amendment
States that no actions can be used to prohibit a citizen the right to vote. This includes poll taxes, literacy tests, etc. Congress holds the power to enforce this legislation. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Outlaws discrimination based on color, race, religion, sex, or national origin. Outlaws any segregation in public accommadations. It also applied to the work place, and Congress used the commerce clause to support its power over the bill. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act prohibited all things that could inhibit any citizen's right to vote. This was put in place to protect the voting rights of minorities. To expand the coverage of the bill, it was amended four times. -
Reed v Reed
Reed v. Reed was the first supreme court case that had a basis in sex discrimination. It ruled that when determining who will be the administrator of an estate, sex could not be used as a determining factor. It was the first major case that surrounded sex discrimination. -
Regents of the University of California v Bakke
This Supreme Court case upheld Affirmative Action. However, it also declared that setting defined quotas for minorities was not permitted. It ruled that many factors must be taken into account, and one of these must still be race. -
Bowers v Hardwick
This was a case that upheld a law prohibiting homesexual activity, even between consenting adults. It was a 5-4 decision that was determined by the idea that homosexuality was not a behavior that was condoned by nature. This decision was overturned in 2003. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This act was put into place to protect people with disabilities, both physical and mental. It required all public accomodations to meet standards that improved accessibility for those with disabilities. It also prohibited any form of discrimination based on disability. -
Lawrence v Texas
This was the case that overturned the Bowers v Hardwick decision. It protected homosexuals from laws banning homosexual activity. This was determined by the laws put in place by the 14th amendment. -
Fisher v University of Texas
This supreme court case determined that race must still be taken into account when determining college admissions. However, it also determined that it must only have a limited role. It was feared by many civil rights supporters that it may overturn affirmative action, but the case supported affirmative action but required that it only have a limited role.
