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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott petitioned for his freedom because he was living in a free state, the supreme court ultimately decided that African Americans were not citizens and couldn’t sue. The supreme court also states that congress didn’t have the authority to ban slavery in the United states. The case is known to have fueled the civil war. -
13th Amendment
The amendment abolished slavery in the United States. This got rid of all forms of servitude, so everyone was technically “free”. Today the thirteenth amendment is still in effect as slavery is still illegal. -
14th Amendment
This amendment gave citizenship to anyone born in the United states. This was monumental because it stated freed slaves were given citizenship along with any immigrants who had children in the US. This also allowed the “American Dream” to fully take affect because now everyone could become citizens. -
15th Amendment
This amendment gave the right to vote to African Americans. With the help of the fourteenth amendment African Americans were granted citizenship and being able to vote was made possible by that. This changed the way people saw African Americans because they were now citizens that could vote. -
Poll taxes
They used these poll taxes to make African Americans not want to vote in some Southern States. Since it was discriminating against African Americans the 24th Amendment was passed in 1962 to prohibit the use of poll taxes. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
In the 1896 supreme court case it basically established the constitutionality of racial segregation. The state of Louisiana had segregated train cars and the case reached all the way to the supreme court. They ruled that the states “separate but equal” law was constitutional. This was later overturned and changed after the rulings of Brown v. Board of Education. -
19th Amendment
This amendment gave women the right to vote. It stated that no one should be not given voting rights based on their sex or gender. This was monumental as the women’s rights movements had finally gotten the right to vote and genders were made equal in voting regards. -
White Primaries
Declared unconstitutional in 1944- In hopes of discouraging African Americans from voting states in the south held white primaries. Which only allowed white people to vote and excluded African Americans. This was just another form of voter suppression and was declared unconstitutional in 1944. -
Brown v. Board of Education
An African American family worried that the segregation within the schools was making them seem inferior to whites. The case traveled all the way to the supreme court. The court sided with the family and outlawed segregation within public schools, overturning their ruling in
Plessy v. Ferguson -
24th Amendment
The 24th amendment got rid of any polling tax for voting in federal elections. The tax was subjecting to African Americans and a few southern states kept the tax to discourage them from voting. This was crucial for the civil rights movement because the tax was lifted, and they could vote easier. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Signed into law July 2nd, 1964- This act ended any sort of segregation or discrimination in public places based on gender, race, color, or religion. It was one of the great legislative acts the civil rights movement was able to pass. As it opened up a lot of doors for minorities in and around public places. -
Affirmative Action
In order to become truly equal, the Johnson Administration issued the Affirmative action executive order to involve minorities everywhere. This proved that discrimination based on religion, race, or gender wasn’t allowed. This involved minorities into jobs and things they before weren’t allowed to. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Passed August 6th, 1965- Reestablished African Americans the rights guaranteed in the fifteenth amendment. It made sure they weren’t being discriminated against in federal and local elections. This led to more freedoms of African Americans and they established more respect. -
Reed v. Reed
In Idaho there was a law the ruled a man could be chosen over a woman for a certain job. With the help of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the law was invalidated stating that no one can be discriminated based on their sex in the workplace. This gave equal opportunity to woman and men fighting for the same respected positions. -
Equal Rights Amendment
October 12th, 1971- the National Women’s political party proposed the amendment to create more equality between the sexes. It prohibited discrimination in the workplace, divorce, property and other things. It created more equality for women which allows us to be where we are today. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
In Bakke’s appeal he stated that the university had discriminated against him in the application process. In the case the court ruled that the use of racial quotes was unconstitutional but that affirmative action to allow minorities in was acceptable. This established rights for college students so they wouldn’t be discriminated against. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
In Georgia there was a sodomy law that criminalized homosexuals from acting in private. And Hardwick challenged the constitutionality of the law in court. The court ruled that the constitution didn’t protect gay people from acting in private, therefore upholding the sodomy laws. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This also was a fundamental act that advocated for civil rights. Specifically, people with disabilities. It prohibits discrimination of anyone with a disability in public, schools, jobs, etc. It allows people with disabilities to get jobs and to live comfortably in public. -
Lawerence v. Texas
This case ended up overturning the decision made dealing with the constitutionality of sodomy laws in Bowers v. Hardwick. The case was instead dealing in Texas when two men were arrested for violation the sodomy laws in place. The court ruled that the sodomy laws are unconstitutional and began the road for gay rights. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
In the most recent fundamental supreme court case marriage rights were given to same-sex couples. The court ruled that the right to marry was assured by the Due Process Clause and Equal Protection Clause. This changed the lives of many same sex couples as they now could get married legally, even though the idea is still controversial.
