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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott was an enslaved man who lived for a time in the free Wisconsin territory. He sued, claiming that he should be freed from slavery due to the fact he was in a free territory, despite still working under his enslaver. The court ruled against him, and decided that enslaved people were not US citizens, and did not get protection under the federal government. This decision was later overturned by the 13th and 14th amendments. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. This was a step beyond the Emancipation Proclamation, which only freed slaves in rebelling states. This amendment officially ended slavery as an official institution, but included an exception for incarcerated people, which could still be applied today. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment formally defined United States citizenship as anyone born or naturalized in the country, which expanded to all formerly enslaved Americans. Additionally, it included the "due process" clause, which allowed for people to have equal protection under the law in both the national and state governments. This allowed for various provisions under the Bill of Rights to be applied in more places, including the states. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment granted the right to vote could not be prohibited on the basis of race or color. This was a big step in allowing Black men the right to vote after the Civil War. However, various barriers still existed before voting would widespread be made easier for people of color. -
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Jim Crow Era
The Jim Crow Era was categorized by a series of laws segregating Black Americans from the white population. During this time, famous decisions like in Plessy v. Ferguson were in full effect, further damaging the racial progress America had briefly made in the Reconstruction era. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
The landmark case of Plessy v. Ferguson established the "separate but equal" doctrine that encouraged racial segregation in all types of public places for nearly a century. Despite claiming facilities would be equal in quality, that was most often not the case, causing Black Americans to suffer in less than ideal conditions. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment officially granted women the right to vote. Decades of suffrage protests from leaders like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony finally paid off in achieving the federal security of voting rights. Despite this, barriers still existed at some local levels for many women, especially women of color. -
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Equal Rights Amendment
The ERA was first drafted in 1923 by suffrage leaders, but was not passed by Congress until 1972. However, not enough states ratified it until 2020, meaning it exists only as a proposed amendment, and not yet an official part of the Constitution. It would ensure that discrimination does not occur on the basis of sex, and would help prevent discrimination against women. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v Board of Education essentially reversed the decision made in Plessy v Ferguson, stating that segregation, specifically in schools, was unconstitutional, even if the separate facility truly was equal in quality. It was a unanimous decision that allowed Black children to be able to attend predominately all-white public schools, which caused major backlash in some communities. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act provided legal action to allow for integration of public places for people regardless of race. It was the largest piece of Civil Rights legislation since Reconstruction, and was a major victory for leaders like MLK. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act in 1965 in order to further protect Black Americans from barriers to voting at local levels. This Act helped to strengthen the 15th amendment as a response to various civil rights peaceful protests in the South, like in Selma. The act prohibited literacy tests, grandfather clauses, etc. that had discouraged Black voting for many decades. -
Reed v Reed
An Idaho law was challenged by a divorcee who lost her adopted son-- a law that stated a preference for males when dividing estates. She won, and the law states that other state laws cannot discriminate on sex when distributing estates, which helped further advance women's rights in leading an independent life. -
Affirmative Action
This is the concept of favoring individuals that have been marginalized groups and allows a higher allocation of resources. Things like employment outreach efforts and benefits to racial groups, women, or veterans are all examples of how affirmative action is used in the job world, among other things. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
In this decision, the use of racial quotas in university admissions was deemed unconstitutional. However, the use of affirmative action was legal in some cases, meaning that minority applicants would have a higher chance of being accepted. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
This decision deemed sodomy unconstitutional, even if it was consensual. This also harmed the right to privacy. Same sex couples could be criminalized for engaging in private sexual conduct. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of various disabilities. It guarantees that disabled people are given equal opportunities to succeed in public and private life as able bodied people. It encourages employment, voting, shopping, transportation, etc. -
Motor Voter Act
This act made it easier for states to register voters, with voting registration opportunities held at motor vehicle agencies. However, the act was only implemented for 22 months, and many states already had the details of the law in place before it became official. -
Lawrence v. Texas
This overturns the decision made in Bowers v Hardwick. It stated that punishment for consensual sexual activity was unconstitutional, and upheld the right to privacy, especially between same sex couples. It was ruled under the due process clause for personal liberty. -
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Obergefell v. Hodges
This decision required states to license same sex couples in marriage. It officially nationally recognized the right to marry for gay couples based on the 14th amendment, and was met with nation wide celebration for members of the LGBTQ community.