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Dred Scott v. Sandford
This supreme court decision, which was made before the Civil War, stated that slaves were not citizent of the United States and therefore did not have rights protected by the Constitution. -
13 Amendment
The Thirteenth Amendment abolished involuntary servitude in all states. This was passed to end the Civil War and reunite the Union. Although this amendment freed the slaves, they were still unfairly treated and forced into tenant farming, which was basically still slavery. -
14th Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment basically just made all newly freed slaves citizens. This allowed them equal protection under the law as well as access to rights stated in the Bill of Rights (with the exception of suffrage). This amendment has also been used to incorporate the Bill or Rights to the states. -
15th Amendment
The Fifteenth Amendment allowed the newly freed slaves the right to vote. This right was only extended to males. However, many Southern states intimidated African Americans, placed literary tests in order to vote, and other restrictions to prevent African Americans from voting. Full suffrage was not available to African Americans until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. -
Poll Taxes
Taxes were placed upon voting for federal, state, and local elections in an attempt to limit or prevent African Americans from voting. They were abolished by the 24th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plesy v. Ferguson made segregation legal. It proposed separate but equal accomodations for Caucasian and African Americans. However, the facilities were not always equal. This ruling, often called one of the worst by the Supreme Court, was later overturned by Brown v. Board of Education. -
White Primaries
White primaries eliminated African Americans from one of the most important aspects of Presidential elections: the primary. It was mostly used in Southern states to assure that African Americans could not select candidates who would give them more rights. -
19th Amendment
The Nineteenth Amendment prohibits any United States citizens from being denied the right to vote based on sex. Basically, it finally gave women the right to vote. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas overturned the segregation ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson. It eliminated segregation in public schools (and later all public places) due to the unequal facilities. It prohibited de jure segregation, but de facto was still present. -
24th Amendment
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment makes it unlawful to place poll taxes on federal elections. It was a measure to prevent Southern states from hindering African American participation in federal elections. However, poll taxes were still legal on state election until 1966. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act prevented discrimination based on race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion in all public places. It ended unequal applications of voter registration or requirements. It also ended racial segregation in schools and work places (started by Brown v. Board). The Act created the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, which gave equal opportunities for all races in the workplace. It later protected against discrimination based on gender. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act ended discrimination at polls once and for all. The fifteenth amendment gave African Americans the right to vote, but it was often abridged by state governments in the South. This act prohibited states and local governments from imposing any qualifications or prerequisites for voting, including poll taxes on local elections. -
Affirmative Action
Sometimes known as positive discrimination and refers to policies that take race, religion, sex, or nationality into consideration in order to benefit underepresented groups in ares of employment, education, and business. Made to combate racial discrimination during the hiring process. -
Reed v. Reed
This was an equal protection case in the Supreme Court. It ruled that administrators of estates may not be named in a way that discriminates against the sexes. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The ERA proposed equal rights for women. It was approved by Congress, but failed to pass state legislatures for ratification. It was rejected by many women because they claimed that they still required more rights. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
This was a Supreme Court case that dictated that affirmative action is legal. However, having quotas based on race is illegal under the Constitution. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of a law in Georgia making it illegal for homosexuals to engage in oral or anal sex in private between consenting adults when applied to homosexuals. Overturned in 2003 -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This unfunded federal mandate required all buildings (both new and existing) to be handicapped accessible. It prevented discrimination based on physical disability. It required buildings to have ramps, elevators, and other accomodations to make it more accessible for disabled Americans. -
Lawrence v. Texas
Supreme Court case that made anti-sodomy laws illegal and same-sex sexual activity was made legal in every U.S. state and territory. It led to reasonable expectation of sexual privacy between individuals. -
Fisher v. University of Texas
Supreme Court case concerning affirmative action admissions policy of the University of Texas. Court voided the lower appelate court's ruling in favor of the University and remanded the case. Using strict security, as in Regents of University of California v. Bakke. No decision officially made yet
