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Dredd Scott v Sandford
Dredd Scott was an enslaved person in Missouri, and from 1833 to 1843 he lived in Illinois, which was a free state. After returning to Missouri, he claimed he was free but lost in the federal court, because "no descendant of slaves could be a citizen." -
Thirteenth Amendment
Ends slavery in the United States. Four million Black American were freed after the ratification of this amendment. -
Jim Crow Era
Jim Crow laws legalized discrimination and racial segregation. "Black codes"- strict laws that detailed when and how formerly enslaved people could work. This legal system severely disadvantaged Black people in the United States. -
Fourteenth Amendment
Prevents laws from being made that can discriminate against any group of people. This prevents -
Fifteenth Amendment
The Fifteenth Amendment gave African American men the right to vote. This was another step in the struggle for racial equality. However, many states had literacy tests and other things to "legally" prevent Black people from voting. -
Plessy v Ferguson
Homer Plessy argued that using separate train cars violated the 13th and 14th Amendments. The court ruled in favor of the state law and that the decision did not constitute unlawful discrimination. -
Nineteenth Amendment
Gave women the right to vote to all women. After years of struggle and protest until victory in 1920. Major step in gender equality. -
Affirmative Action
Procedures taken to eliminate unlawful discrimination in places such as employment, school admissions, etc. It is used to help achieve diversity and offer more opportunities to people from minorities. -
Civil Right Act of 1964
Prohibits discrimination based on race religion, sex, or national origin in public places and federally funded programs. Supported the desegregation of public schools. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Banned the use of literacy tests, and other preventative measures against Black voters. This increased the amount of Black voters in America. -
Reed v Reed
Challenge the Idaho Probate Code that specified that males must be preferred to females when appointing administrators of estates. It was ruled unconstitutional to have a mandatory preference of sex because of the 14th Amendment. -
Equal Rights Amendment
Guarantees gender equality and equal rights regardless of sex. Ends legal distinctions between men and women, like in property, employment, etc. -
Regents of the University of California v Bakke
Allan Bakke was rejected from UCMS because the school has reserved places for students that were apart of a minority. The court ruled that the use of racial quotas violated the Civil Rights Act, but the use of race in admissions decisions was permissible. -
Bowers v Hardwick
Michael Hardwick went to court after being charged by the state of Georgia because of acts of consensual homosexual sodomy. The court ruled that this could not be protected by the Constitution, and states could make individual rules. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
Prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. Must be accommodations for people with disabilities in public places, such as transportation, employment, and communications. -
Motor Voter Act
Simplifies voter registration to allow for more accessibility for voters. The Motor Voter Act prevents states from removing registered voters from voter rolls. -
Lawrence v Texas
Texas had outlawed same-sex intimacy, but not the same behavior from different-sex couples. The court ruled that Texas could not justify interfering with private lives of individuals. -
Obergefell v Hodges
Battle against the refusal to recognize same-sex couples and legalize same-sex marriage. The court decided to give the same recognition to same-sex couples and gave states the right whether or not to legalize same-sex marriage.