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The 13th Amendment
This amendment was adopted by the United States in 1865. It outlawed slavery in America. This freed all of the slaves and prevented new slaves from being forced into labor. -
The 14th Amendment/
All people born or naturalized in the United States are U.S. citizens. Neither life, liberty nor property can be taken away without due process of the law. Every American citizen has equal protection under the law. This allowed immigrants to both become citizens and have their children be citizens of the U.S. This also prevented discrimination against African Americans in court and relating to the law. -
The 15th Amendment
All citizens of the United States have the right to vote. This allowed all of the slaves freed by the 13th Amendment to be able to vote. -
Jim Crow Laws
Laws that stated that segregation was not only legal but mandatory in the South. In the 1890, after Plessy v. Ferguson, these laws were justified by the doctrine "seerate but equal". These laws forced the discrimination of African Americans for many decades. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Created the doctrine of "seperate but equal". The Court decided that segregation was constitutional as long as the seperated facilities were of equal quality. The ruling on this case reenforced and justified segregation for 60 years afterwards. -
The 19th Amendment
No person shall be denied a vote based on their sex. This allowed all women citizens to vote. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Overturned the ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson. The Court unanimously agreed that "seperate but equal" was inherently unequal. Started the process of desegregation in public schools. Was not immediatly effective. This case was the starting point for ending segregation in the South. -
The 24th Amendment
No citizen of the United States shall be denied a vote because they could not afford the poll tax. This allowed poor African Americans to vote, which they had previouly been blocked from doing by the unfair poll tax. -
The Civil Rights Act
This act, signed into law in 1964 by LBJ, outlawed discrimination based on race, religion or sex. Originally hard to implement, it gradually was enforced to the point of eliminating discrimination. -
The 26th Amendment
The voting age was lowered from 21 to 18. This allowed all of the young people being drafted to Vietnam to have a say in the government that was sending them to war.
