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Dred Scott v Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave that belonged to Dr. John Emerson. Emerson passed away leaving Scott to his wife Irene. Scott tried to purchase his freedom many times but Irene refused. Dred Scott filed in the St. Louis Circuit Court for freedom, seeing as he was from a free state. This court case took a decade to be finalized. -
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Jim Crow Era
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13th Amendment
The thirteenth amendment ratified the abolishment of slaver in the US. This amendment came into effect January 31st, 1865 when the House passed the law with a vote of 119-56. Shortly after, President Lincoln was assassinated and the amendment was fully passed December 6th that same year. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment essentially granted citizenship in America to anyone born on American soil. This was a huge deal because it also granted protective rights to all these people, including previously enslaved people. This is one of the amendments that helped abolish slavery in the long term. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment ensures everyone the right to vote despite color/race or any previous experience of being enslaved. This amendment also helped remove all of the restrictions put on the voting places such as literacy tests. Any unfair treatment towards people who weren't white men at places of voting were removed allowing every man to vote. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was the start of the phrase "Separate but Equal." This means in the segregation of white people and people of color, the people of color had to be guaranteed things that were just as high quality as the white people had. One example used was railway carriages, where white people had a really nice carriage while people of color had a trashy one. -
19th Amendment
The nineteenth amendment granted women the right to vote. After many years of suffrage and a century of protests, the amendment was ratified August 18th, 1920. Despite the passing of this law, black women still took years to gain the right to vote. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education helped to correct the Plessy v Ferguson court case. While the previous court case established "Separate but Equal", a closer look showed that schools lacked a large amount of teaching in a white's school vs a person of colors school. Brown v Board of Education helped fuel the future of the Civil Rights Movement. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 allowed the removal of segregation in public places, from transportation to restrooms to schools. This also banned any places of employment from only employing white men or giving people of differing color, sex, or religion the worst jobs. This is known as one of the best legislative motions in the US. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 helped remove the barriers put up by people (specifically in the South) -
Affirmative Action
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Reed v. Reed
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Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
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Equal Rights Amendment
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Bowers v. Hardwick
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Americans with Disabilities Act
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Motor Voter Act
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Lawrence v. Texas
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Obergefell v. Hodges