-
Dred Scott v Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave in Missouri. He filed a suit in Missouri courts for his freedom. He lost the case but then took it to federal court. The decision was 7 to 2 for Sandford. They declared that he could never be a citizen because his ancestors were brought to the U.S. The court then stated that the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was unconstitutional. No matter where Scott moved to he was not free. They ruled that under the 5th amendment he was property. -
13th Amendment
This amendment was ratified post-civil war. The amount of slavery in the south was at its peak. This constitutional amendment forbade slavery and involuntary servitude. It from there on prevented any one person from becoming another's property. -
14th Amendment
The amendment granted citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to African Americans and slaves that were emancipated after the Civil War. From there on it was due process of both Federal and state governments. Although at the beginning of the ratification, the amendment was not put into action fully, it took a long amount of time to extend the Bill of Rights. -
15th Amendment
The amendment allowed for African- American men the right to vote. They immediately began to take part in running for office and voting in the United States. Local and state governments found ways around the amendment to prevent African- Americans from voting. This eventually led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in the future. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
In this case, the question was whether the Separate Car Act violated the 14th amendment. It required separate cars on railways for black and whites. Plessy decided to participate in a test. He was put into the whites-only car. He was asked to exit the car, he was arrested. The decision was 7-1 Ferguson. They ruled the law unconstitutional but not that the segregation was unlawful. -
White Primaries *
They were primary elections held in the Southern states in which only white voters were allowed to participate. The white primary was a method used by white Democrats to disenfranchise African- American voters. This lasted from around 1890 to 1908. It continued into 1944 when a court decision ruled against Texas white primary system. -
Nineteenth Amendment
The nineteenth amendment granted that no matter what account of sex voting rights should not be denied. This was ratified after the women's suffrage movement. President Wilson changed his position and supported an amendment in 1918, this changed politics for many years to come. Despite this amendment, those women of color still fought for years to receive voting rights, -
Brown v. Board of Education
This case was due to several states having the same kinds of cases. It addressed the segregation in public schools based on race. African Americans were denied the ability to attend certain schools. In the case, it was argued that it violated the Equal Protection Clause. It was a unanimous decision for Brown. They said that "separate but equal" violated the protections of the clause. The court knew that segregation in schools would have a detrimental effect on the future. -
24th Amendment
This amendment prohibited the federal and state governments from imposing poll taxes on a citizen. This was used to prevent the tactics used on African- Americans to not allow them to vote in elections and have a say in government. This amendment was just another step in the civil rights era. -
Poll Taxes
Most of the poll tax was used as a voter suppression tactic directed at African Americans to prevent them from getting a say in government. It lasted from the 1880s until 1964. In 1964, the 24th amendment was ratified when it prohibited any poll tax for federal officials. In a court case, Harper v Virginia Board of Electors it was shown that a poll tax is a violation of the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act was first proposed by JFK. Despite the strong southern disagreement, it was signed into law by Lyndon Johnson. It was the start of a new life in the United States. It prohibited discrimination in public places, provided integration in public schools, and made employment discrimination illegal. -
Affirmative Action
This was a set of laws, policies, guidelines and administrative practices in which wanted to end a specific form of discrimination. It began in 1961 by JFK''s executive order in which stated that applicants are treated equally no matter race, color, sex or religion. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act was also signed in by Lyndon B. Johnson. It's purpose was to overcome legal barriers at all levels preventing African Americans from exercising their right to vote. The march from Selma to Montgomery fought for voting rights. -
Reed v. Reed
In Idaho, Sally and Cecil Reed wanted to be named the administrator of their past adopted son. The Idaho Probate Code stated that "males must be preferred to females" thus the question of the case being does the code violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment. The court decided in favor of Sally Reed. The court held that this was wrong because context cannot be based solely on the sex of the subject. It was discriminatory to women. -
Equal Rights Amendment *
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is designed to give equal rights to everyone no matter their sex. It specifically reaches issues like divorce, property, and employment. It provided gender equality for both women and men. It was first drafted in 1923 and didn't get approved by Congress until 1972. It was brought into political platforms in 1940. At this point, the labor movement was still considered women's rights as a threat to power. This is why today there are still being changes made. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Allan Bakke was rejected twice from the California Medical School. The school reserved 16 places for qualified minorities. Both times he applied his GPA and test scores exceeded those of minority students but he was rejected. The question to the court was to determine if the University of Cal. violated the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by practicing affirmative action. The decision was 8-1 Bakke. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Hardwick was seen by a Georgia police officer while engaging in the act of homosexual sodomy in the bedroom of his home. HE was charged with violating criminalized sodomy. The court of appeals stated it was unconstitutional and the Georgia attorney appealed to the Supreme court. It was a 5-4 decision for Bowers. The court stated there was no constitutional protection for acts of sodomy, therefore states could outlaw it. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination towards individuals with disabilities. Specifically in areas in public like; jobs, schools, transportation, and other places. This allows those with disabilities to have equal rights and opportunities as anyone else. -
Lawrence v Texas
Police in Houston entered John Lawrences' home and saw him and Tyron Garner, engaging in a private consensual sexual act. They were both arrested for sexual intercourse violation of Texas. The question presented to the court was asking whether or not the Texas "Homosexual Conduct" law violated the 14th amendment. The decision was 6-3 for Lawrence. It does not violate the 14th amendment. It is protected by the Due Process Clause. It should be overruled. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Groups of same-sex couples sued four states on the state bans of same-sex marriage. The first question asked was whether or no the fourteenth amendment requires a state to license a marriage between a same-sex couple. The second was whether or not the fourteenth amendment requires a state to recognize the marriage between a same-sex couple. The decision was 5 to 4 or Obergefell. Both answers were yes,
