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Scott V Sanford
-Dred Scott was a slave who was living in a free state
-Issue: is Dred Scott Free or a slave
-The Supreme Court said he was a slave because slaves are property, and the 5th Amendment says the Govt. can't take your property
-Significant because the courts ruled in favor of slavery. -
Reconstruction Amendments
13th Amendment- Abolished Slavery
14th Amendment- Gave freed Slaves Citizenship(Naturalized or Natural Born) and made Equal Protection Clause
15th Amendment- Gave freed slaves the right to vote(voting laws)
24th Amendment- made poll taxes illegal(prevented poor people(like African Americans because of the jim crow laws) from voting) -
Reconstruction
Reconstruction was the rebuilding of the South and it being able to join back the Union. The States wanting to join back to the Union had to sign the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments making it impossible to them to make slavery again. After that reconstruction was about rebuilding the south and trying to make it adjust to having no slavery. -
Jim Crow Era
Black Codes and Jim Crow laws were there to make the freed slaves unable to get lots of money, or a house, or any stable life. To make it as close to Slavery as possible It also separated African Americans by separating schools, courts, churches, and railroad cars, etc. Also, certain tests like a literacy test were made to make it impossible for an African American to Vote. -
Plessy V. Ferguson
- Homer Plessy sat in an all-white section of a bus, so he can be arrested. He wanted to challenge that the Jim Crow laws violate the 14th amendment.
- Issue: Does the Jim Crow law violate the 14th Amendment and the equal protection clause?
- the Courts ruled the Jim Crow laws don't violate the 14th amendment because they are equal but separate
- Significant because it made the Separate but Equal Doctrine
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19th Amendment
19th Amendment- made voting legal to anyone of any gender(gave women the right to vote) -
Scottsboro Boys
The Scottsboro boys were a group of boys who were charged with Rape. They were denied many of the things in the 14th Amendment. Some of which were not granted the right to a fair lawyer, a grand jury(there wasn't enough evidence to proceed with a trial), an impartial jury(all white), and cruel and unusual punishment(Death) -
George Stinney
George Stinney was a boy who was charged with Murder. He was denied many of the 14th Amendment rights like a fair lawyer, an impartial jury(all white), not being able to bring forth a witness, and being executed -
Brown V. Board
Brown V. Board was a case that was regarding the Segregation in the school system. The School argued that being separate is being unequal Issue: is being separate inherently unequal The Courts said yes. Their reason is you feel inferior when separated and that violates the equal protection clause. -
James Meredith enrolls in Ole Miss
James Meredith enrolled in Ole Miss. It was huge because this was the first act of integration for non-required School(College). Again the governor tried to stop the integration but the president stopped the governor. Kennedy said if we don't enforce this law, then how can we enforce any other law. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination of any kind by race, color, religion, etc. Made Segregation illegal. -
Voting Rights act of 1965
An act that prohibited voting practices that discriminated against people. It banned all of the literacy tests and History tests. Used to enforce the 15th Amendment(allowed African Americans to vote) -
Civil rights Act of 1968
Prohibited Housing discrimination- not selling/renting to a person because of their race. This is the same as refusing service because of someone's race -
California V. Bakke
Allan Bakke applied to University California. UCAL had a policy to save 16 spots for people who are minorities. Allan wasn't admitted and argued that it was because of his race Issue: Can Schools use Race as a criteria for admission, or does it violate Equal protection clause and civil rights act? Courts said that UCAl had to admitt Bakke because of their strict racial quotas. However the courts also said the Race can be used as criteria in determining admissions to colleges -
Gratz V. Bollinger
The University of Michigan gave applicants of a minority race a 20 point bonus in admission scores. Jennifer Gratz, who wasn't admitted, argued that that discriminated against whites and violated the equal protection clause and Civil rights Act. Issue: Does that violate the Equal Protection Clause and the civil rights act? The Courts said yes. Michigan wasn't looking at each person individually but grouping them into groups based on race, discriminating against them. So it does violate them. -
Meredith V. Jefferson School Co.( Seattle parents)
School system put kids in certain schools to maintain racial diversity. Issue: Can a school system put kids in certain schools because of their race? Courts ruled no. You can not use race as a factor of anything, especially a Public School. It violates the equal protection clause -
Shelby County V. Holder
The Preclearance part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 said that the states can change their voting laws if approved by the Attorney General. Issue: Is the Preclearance part unconstitutional because of the Equal Protection Clause? Courts said yes, that rule would allow discrimination which isn't legal now. That violates the eqaul Protection Clause