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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave in Missouri. For a couple years he resided in Illinois, which was a free state. After returning to Missouri, he filed a case stating that because he once lived in a free state, he should be considered a free man. The court ruled that African Americans were not considered American citizens and therefore were not allowed a say in court. The court essentially ruled that African Americans were considered property. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment consisted of formal emancipation, which means that it freed the slaves. The only exception was if slavery was punishment for a crime. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment granted African Americans citizenship. This was established through the Equal Protection Clause within section one of the amendment. The amendment also states that no person shall be deprived of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness without due process of the law. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment gave people of color and former slaves the right to vote. It also stated that Congress will have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Homer Plessy, an African American passenger on a train, refused to sit in a car for blacks. He was arrested and the case went to the Supreme Court. The court upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment allowed for women's suffrage, which meant that women were officially allowed to vote. It prohibited the states and federal government from denying a citizen the right to vote based on their sex. -
White Primaries
White primaries were primary elections held in southern states of the United States that only white people were allowed to partake in. It was used to disenfranchise most black and other minority voters. The Smith v. Allwright case abolished white primaries in 1923. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This helped integrate America's public schools. Racial segregation of children in public schools was deemed unconstitutional. It was also very important in that it brought change to other public places where the separate but equal doctrine remained. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative action is the encouragement of increased representation of women and minority groups, especially in college admission and employment. It helps with equal treatment for those that are underrepresented in society. -
Poll Taxes
A poll tax is a tax levied on every adult, without reference to income or resources. It caused some states to have to pay a fee to vote in a national election. Poll taxes were applied to whites as well as blacks, but had an even greater effect on poor people. The 24th Amendment made it illegal for poll taxes in elections for federal officials. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment granted the right for United States citizens to vote in any primary election or other election for President and Vice President for electors for President or Vice President. It also ended electoral laws that limited blacks from voting such as white primary, poll tax, and literacy tests. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This law authorized the national government to end segregation in public education and public accommodations. It also created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which seeks and diminishes discrimination in the work place. This Act, in relation to the EEPC, called for no discrimination in employment by race, color, sex, religion, or national origin. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This authorized the Justice Department to suspend restrictive electoral tests in southern states that had a history of low black voting turnouts. This allowed for the sending of federal officers to register votes directly. States had to now obtain clearance from the Justice Department before changing their electoral laws. -
Reed v. Reed
This case was the first Supreme Court case that applied the Equal Protection Clause to women's rights. It ruled that the administrators of estates cannot be named in a way that discriminates between sexes. -
Equal Rights Amendment
This amendment was meant to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Its purpose is to end legal discrimination between the sexes in divorce, property, employment, and everything of the sort. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
This case upheld the establishment of "affirmative action." This means that it was officially legal to consider race in the college admission policy. This helped more minority groups get accepted into colleges. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Michael Hardwick was arrested for engaging in homosexual activity in the privacy of his own home. He was charged with violating a Georgia statute that criminalized sodomy. The Supreme Court ruled to uphold the constitutionality of the Georgia law. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. These disabilities include both physical and mental.This includes all areas of public life such as jobs, schools, transportation, and all private and public places that are open to the general public. -
Lawrence v. Texas
This case essentially trumped the Bowers v. Hardwick ruling. It ruled that laws prohibiting private homosexual activity between consenting adults was unconstitutional. This was a landmark case for homosexuals in the United States. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
This case allowed for same-sex marriages to be legal in every state within the United States. It was deemed the fundamental right under the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. This was also a landmark case for the LGBT community.
