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13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery or involuntary servitude and it was ratified just a few short months after the end of the U.S. Civil War. Today we think of this amendment as essential and something that had to be passed. The reality is that when this amendment was proposed, it caused a great deal of debate and discussion before the Congress finally voted to send it to the states for ratification. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment make it illegal for states to prevent women from voting. Some states, beginning with Wyoming, had already begun to allow women's suffrage. Women had been fighting for suffrage rights since at least 1848 when the Seneca Falls Convention occurred in New York. Today, a larger portion of women vote than men. -
Lawrence v. Texas
In a victory for gay rights advocates, the decision in Lawrence v. Texas struck down anti-sodomy laws throughout the country. The case overturned the previous decision from 1986 in Bowers v. Hardwick. This case opened the doors for other gay rights cases to unfold over the coming decade. The battle over gay marriage became the next major issue in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
