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13th Amendment
The 13th amendment was the first of the three Reconstruction amendments. It abolished all legal slavery and involuntary servitude. Though many slaves were freed when Lincoln gave the Emancipation Proclamation, the post-war status of these slaves was uncertain under the eyes of the law. -
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Civil Rights
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14th Amendment
The 14th amendment was the second of the three Reconstruction amendments. It dealt with citizenship laws and equal protections of the law. It was passed to combat the unequal treatment former slaves were receiving in the South. All Southern states were forced to ratify the amendment to regain representation in Congress. It formed the basis for the Roe v. Wade decision as well as other famous cases. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment was the third and final of the Reconstruction amendments. It stated that neither state nor federal governments could deny a citizen the right to vote based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”. Black voters were still denied through poll taxes and literacy tests. -
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Poll Taxes
Poll taxes are taxes of a portioned, fixed amount applied to an individual in accordance with the census. Used to oppress blacks in the south during the Jim Crow era. -
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Literacy Tests
The government practice of testing the literacy of potential citizens at the federal level, and potential voters at the state level. Used to prevent blacks from voting in the south by taking advantage of the lack of education to black people in the south during Jim Crow era south. -
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Jim Crow Era
Jim Crow laws were laws enacted from the end of Reconstruction in 1877 to 1964. They used de jure segregation to oppress blacks in the south at local and state levels. The “separate but equal” doctrine came out of the Jim Crow era south. This led to unfair social, economic, and educational opportunities for blacks. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Homer Adolph Plessy, who was seven-eighths Caucasian, sat in a whites only car and was arrested when he refused to move to the car reserved for blacks because of the separate railway laws in Louisiana. The Supreme Court sided with the state of Louisiana and determined that Plessy’s constitutional rights were not infringed under separate-but-equal doctrine. -
19th Amendment
Prohibits any United States citizen from being denied the right to vote on the basis of sex. It was ratified on August 18, 1920. The Constitution allows the states to determine the qualifications for voting, and until the 1910s most states disenfranchised women. -
Korematsu v. United States
In Korematsu v. United States, Korematsu argued that it was against his constitutional rights to be interned due to his heritage. However, the Supreme Court sided with the United States and decided that circumstances of “emergency and peril” that called for protection against espionage outweighed the rights of Korematsu and other citizens of Japanese ancestry. Many civil libertarians of then and now criticized the Court’s decision. -
Sweatt v. Painter
Heman Marion Sweatt, a black man living in Texas, applied for admission to the University of Texas Law School, which was a white school. Because it was illegal for him to attend, he was rejected. When Sweatt asked for admission, the university tried to create a separate and insufficient facility for black students, so Sweatt went to the Supreme Court. The Court demanded that Sweatt be admitted into the white university because of the Equal Protection Clause, getting rid of "separate but equal." -
Brown v. Board of Education
Before Brown v. Board of Education, black children were not allowed to attend public school alongside white children. In this court case, it was argued that denying these children from admissions was a violation of the equal protection laws in the 14th Amendment. The Court agreed and revoked the “separate but equal” ideal because segregation was denying minorities equal facilities and opportunities. -
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
This movement was started when Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat to a white man at the front of the bus. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and others, this led to a ruling in Browder v. Gayle that led to a United States Supreme Court decision that declared the Alabama and Montgomery laws requiring segregated buses to be unconstitutional. -
24th Amendment
The 24th amendment abolished the use of poll taxes for federal elections and the legality of said poll taxes. It wasn’t until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that poll taxes for state elections were unconstitutional due to violation of the Equal Protection Clause that state poll taxes were illegal. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Prohibited discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended racial segregation in schools and public places. It is considered the greatest piece of legislation of the Civil Rights movement. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Prevents racial discrimination in voting. It was amended itself five times to ensure more protections. Designed to enforce voting rights granted under the 14th and 15th amendments. -
Affirmative Action
President Lyndon Johnson implemented Executive Order 11246, enforcing "affirmative action," which is favoring those who are usually discriminated against when it comes to employment and education. -
RFK's Speech after MLK's assassination
Considered one of the greatest public addresses of all time, RFK’s speech to the heart of the black ghetto of Indianapolis was a passionate call for peace between the races. Indianapolis was one of the only cities to remain calm in the aftermath of MLK's assassination and RFK's speech is given a lot of credit for that. -
Reed v. Reed
Sally and Cecil Reed, who were separated, both wanted to be named administrator of their late son’s estate. Because of The Idaho Probate Code, which stated that “males must be preferred to females” when naming administrators of estates, Cecil was appointed administrator. Sally argued that this law discriminated against sex, and the Court agreed with her, pressing for more women’s rights. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
University of California Medical School at Davis reserved sixteen places from each of its entering classes for “qualified minorities. Allan Bakke, a white man, applied twice and was denied admission both times. Bakke argued that he was being rejected solely because of race, and that this violated the equal protection clause found in the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court decided that race could be a factor in admissions in order to create a diverse environment but not through quotas. -
Equal Rights Amendment
This is the date that the Equal Rights Amendment was extended in Congress. This Amendment has not yet been ratified by 38 states, but the possibility of it passing still exists. Written and introduced to Congress in 1923, women have been fighting for specific rights in the Constitution for decades. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
A Georgia police officer witnessed Michael Hardwick engaging in consensual homosexual sodomy through the bedroom of Hardwick’s house. Hardwick was charged with violating the anti-sodomy statute that was issued in Georgia at the time. When the case reached the Supreme Court, the Court decided that the act of sodomy was not protected in the constitution, and therefore could be outlawed by states. This kept anti-sodomy laws in place in many states across the nation. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act helps protect those with disabilities from discrimination from things including: "employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications, and governmental activities." -
Lawrence v. Texas
John Lawrence and his partner, Tyron Garner were arrested and convicted of the Texas statute that forbade two persons of the same sex to partake in sexual conduct. The Court decided that making it criminal for two people of the same sex to engage in sexual conduct violates the Due Process Clause. This was a victory and catalyst for gay rights activists across the country and changing ideals earlier founded in Bowers v. Hardwick. -
Fisher v. Texas
In Fisher v. Texas, Abigail N. Fisher argued that the University of Texas was violating the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment when considering race when making admission decisions. The University claimed that these considerations were implemented in order to pursue greater diversity. The court decided that the Equal Protection Clause permits the consideration of race in the admission process as long as it fits these standards. -
Gay Marriage Rights in Indiana
This is the date that the same-sex marriage was ban was struck down. After gay marriage was made legal in Indiana, the state government appealed it. Currently, as the appeal is occurring, gay marriage is still technically illegal in the state of Indiana.
