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The first slaves arrived in what would become America in 1619.
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Slavery was a major part of the American economy, especially in the South, until the end of the Civil War and the 13th Amendment.
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These words, which would seem to disavow racism and discrimination, were ironically written by slaveowner Thomas Jefferson.
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African americans not considered US citizens, don’t have right to sue. Slaves who escape to free state are still property of owner
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Abolished slavery & indentured servitude
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After the Civil War, the Union sought to enforce the end of slavery & citizenship of former slaves in the racist South
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Among many other things (due process clause & more), enforced that former slaves born in the US are full American citizens
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Voting cannot be discriminated against because of race: however, thanks to Jim Crow laws, many African Americans were still unable to vote after the end of Reconstruction
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After the end of Reconstruction in 1877, Southern states sought to disenfranchise African American voters, or restrict their right to vote, with multiple techniques such as poll taxes, literacy tests and others
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Declared jim crow segregation legal: “Seperate but equal” defined the South for decades
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The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote (women's suffrage)
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A group of 9 African American teenagers convicted of raping a white girl with little to no evidence. This led to a prolonged legal battle ending in a guilty verdict, although the boys were later pardoned
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14 year old African American boy given the death penalty with little to no evidence by an all white jury
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Ended the "Separate but Equal" doctrine in Education, held that Separate was inherently inequal
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Era where many landmark laws were passed to ensure the civil rights of minorities. Prominent figures include Martin Luther King Jr
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Officially made discrimination based on race, sex, color or origin illegal. Landmark law which in some ways was the culmination of the civil rights movement
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Banned the use of poll tax (must pay to vote) in all states.
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Mostly eliminated discriminatory Jim Crow efforts to keep minorities from voting, like literacy tests, ect. Established "preclearances" in southern states: States needed to notify federal government of changes made in their voting system.
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Established new housing rights for minorities, ended de jure housing segregation in communities
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Allan Bakke, a white man, wanted to be admitted to the University of California medical school. However, due to his age and a quota set up for a certain amount of minorities in each class, he was denied. He sued for discrimination and was ultimately admitted, although the constitutional question of "affirmative action" was left unanswered.
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Established that "affirmative action", or an admissions process that favors certain minorities, does not violate the equal protection clause, as long as there are other elements to the admissions process.
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Supreme Court ruling that an equal racial distribution was not a "compelling state interest" and that "tiebreaker systems" (where when too many students applied to one school, the excess students would be evenly distributed to create an approximately equal racial mix)
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Eliminated preclearance voting regulations in southern states, on basis that they are no longer needed