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1965 BCE
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This law outlaws racial discrimination in voting. It was put into effect during the height of the civil rights era by Lyndon B. Johnson. even after the 14th and 15th amendments allowing all males to vote, many states were still discriminating. This led to this policy ensuring that African Americans could vote. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave, that along with his family, lived in free territory. When the slaveowner moved back to the slave state, Dred Scott sued for the freedom of his family since they had lived in a free state. The courts ruled against Dred Scott, and claimed that since he was actually property and a slave he did not have the right to sue. -
13th Amendment
A new amendment is passed to ban slavery. The constitution states: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Although slavery was officially illegal, black codes and Jim Crow laws still existed. -
14th Amendment
Every person born in the United States is granted citizenship. Initially, it was used to grant citizenship to all former slaves that were born in the United States of America. It extends to all persons born in the United States and is now used to grant citizenship to illegal immigrants' children. It included the Due Process clause, which was used to extend the Bill of Rights to the states. -
15th Amendment
This amendment was proposed to extend voting rights to African Americans. This was countered by states through grandfather clauses and literacy tests that basically eliminated all African American voters. This amendment gives rights to all men to vote, no matter previous condition or race. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy sat on a train-car designed for whites only, and he sued Ferguson and claimed that "separate yet equal" was unconstitutional due to the 13th and 14th amendments. The court ruled that if the conditions were only in state boundaries and were truly equal, that seperate yet equal was allowed under the Constitution. -
White Primaries
Elections in southern states only permitted whites to be able to vote. Mostly state legislatures passed these. They also passed laws to prevent voter registration. The purpose was to disenfranchise black citizens. -
19th Amendment
Prohibits state and federal governments from denying citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex. Most states did not give women the right to vote until this amendment forced them to. It overruled the court case Minor v. Happersett, in which the Supreme Court ruled the 14th amendment did not give women the right to vote. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This case started the integration of public schools in the United States of America. It led to violent protests outside of many schools that were beginning to be integrated. This case was large in the beginning of the civil rights era. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action originally started to give African Americans better opportunities and education after the Civil Rights acts started to pass. But these original acts weren't as effective, therefore acts that required all employers to use affirmative action policies started to give more opportunities to minorities. These policies have increased minority representation in colleges and other employment opportunities. -
24th Amendment
This amendment prevents the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections. In a later court case, Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections, the court ruled that poll taxes on any level of elections is unconstitutional. -
Civil Rights act of 1964
United States labor law that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Initially, it was difficult to enforce but has gained more power over time. It prohibits unequal treatment in schools, employment, and public accomidations -
Poll taxes
On this date, the Supreme Court reversed a prior decision, Breedlove v. Suttles, to force states to stop requiring a poll tax to vote in state elections. -
Reed v. Reed
This court case established that administrators of estates cannot be discriminated by sex. This case was a large win for increasing female rights. -
Equal Rights Amendment
This amendment was proposed and gave full equality to women under the Constitution. It was struck down, however, because not enough states ratified it. Now, we are still in the ratification process and if one more state chooses to ratify, the amendment will be added. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
This case was large for starting to establish racial equality. It established that universities could not use racial quotas in their admissions process. And it also ruled that some affirmative action programs could be used under certain circumstances. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
This case was a 5-4 decision by the United States to not let Georgia hold its sodomy laws. This allowed, in the majority of states, for same sex couples to engage in sexual activity. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This act prohibited the discrimination of hiring disabled persons in the work place simply because they are disabled. This led to more people that identified as disabled being able to gain thhe same opportunities as their fellow Americans. -
Lawrence v. Texas
This case illegalized sodomy laws and this final case established that all states were held to the same standard. It is an extension of bowers v hardwick.
