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Dred Scott v. Sandford
In its 1857 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that enslaved people were not citizens of the United States and, did not have any protection from the federal government or the courts, and declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional. This made enslaved people angry and they went into an outrage against slavery. This act started the fire under those who were involved in bettering civil rights for all people. -
13th Amendment
The 13th amendment states "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." This helped begin the end of slavery and was a big step in the right direction for the civil rights of enslaved people. This amendment did not solve slavery but did help to start to end it. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment states "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law..." This amendment expresses the idea that no person shall be deprived of their liberties/rights as a citizen. This helped citizens to be free from unruly laws that states may have made. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment granted African American men the right to vote. This amendment created a right for African Americans that was the same as those for white males. The government did fight this with literacy tests and still made a way to limit who could vote. -
Jim Crow Era
Jim Crow laws were laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced racial segregation. These laws started as a backlash against African Americans gaining more rights. There was nothing that could be done about these because they were technically legal. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
This case supported the idea that Jim Crow laws were not unconstitutional as long as facilities were "equal". This was kind of like a compromise, however, most facilities were not at all equal. This caused there to be more backlash about the ruling, but by those being segregated. -
19th Amendment
The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibited the United States and its states from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex. This is the amendment that allowed women the right to vote. There were many protests and fights about rights for women and the 19th amendment was a major win. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This case fought against segregation in schools. This case helped end school segregation which took a long time. There were arguments about if schools were equal and things like that, however in the end it was made illegal to segregate schools. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, sex, etc. This was one of the biggest moments in history for civil rights. This is the reason for so much freedom for all in the world today. Without this act, many wouldn't be able to do as much as they can. -
Affirmative Action
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Voting Rights Act of 1965
Helped end discrimination against voters. This helped eliminate any way the government could limit who could vote. This helped get rid of literacy tests and things like those that discriminated against those without access to a great education, etc. -
Reed v. Reed
Made it unconstitutional to discriminate based on gender when buying an estate. This made it so women could be more independent and have a home for themselves and no one else. Before this it was hard for women to be completely independent. -
Equal Rights Amendment
Made it so that all genders were guaranteed the same rights. This helped women feel more comfortable when going through a divorce and that not everything would be taken from them. This also helped make it so all women were treated the same as men. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
This case was about fighting discrimination when people are admitted to schools and offered scholarships. This targeted some people over others and made it harder for some to get into universities than others. It was found to be unconstitutional to take into consideration race, sex, etc when offering admission and aid to universities. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
This case dealt with restrictions on sexual relations. This was restricting something that people had the right to do and people were fighting it. This law also targeted those in same sex relationships. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This act helped fight discrimination against those with disabilities. This helped make places more accessible to those with disabilities and who needed extra help to do some things. -
Motor Voter Act
The motor voter act helped with making a way to make sure voters where ready to vote and could legally vote. They did this in a way where there would be no discrimination. This helped with discrimination for voters and also keeps voting restricted and protected. -
Lawrence v. Texas
Helped eliminate laws against same-sex relations. This was a major step towards legalizing same-sex marriages, and limiting what people can do/who they have relationships with is unconstitutional. The states had no right to limit/censor anyone from being with who they loved. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
This law made same-sex marriage legal in the United states. As one of the more recent civil rights fights, there are still ongoing fights for new rulings about it. It is now legal to have same-sex marriages in most states.
