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Dredd Scott v. Sandford
African Americans have no rights as citizens wether freed or slave. This decision made it difficult for future change. -
13th Amendment
Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, essentially freeing all slaves held in the United States. Only formally abolished slavery, most freed slaves still suffered many injustices. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment provided equal protections by laws to all citizens. This Amendment was essential in guaranteeing the rights of freed slaves. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment makes it illegal for the government to prevent people from voting based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
An 1896 Supreme Court decision that provided a constitutional justification for segregation by ruling that a Louisiana law requiring “equal but separate accommodations for the White and colored races” was constitutional. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
A case from 1986 that ruled the Georgia sodomy law of criminalizing oral and anal sex between homosexuals was illegal. This ruling, 5-4, was overturned in 2003 by the case Lawrence v. Texas. -
19th Amedment
Prohibits the government from denying anyone the right to vote based on gender. This Amendment took this choice out of the states hands. -
Poll Taxes
Designed to keep poor minorities from voting, poll taxes were a fee required to vote. They were declared illegal by the 24th Amendment -
White Primaries
Primary elections in the South, where non-white citizens were prohibited from voting. Decreased chances of minorities voting becuase all of the candidates were chosen by whites. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The 1954 Supreme Court decision holding that school segregation was inherently unconstitutional because it violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection. This case marked the end of legal segregation in the United States. -
24th Amendment
Prohibits the government from imposing poll taxes as a means of barring voters from voting. Poll taxes in the past were mostly targeted towards poor minorities that would not be able to vote because of the poll tax. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Essentially ended segregation by race, religion, and gender in places of business and in the voting process. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Keeps government from imposing any sort of barrier on voting , by requiring any kind of prerequsite other than citizenship. -
Affirmative Action
Policies that take factors such as sex, race, religion or national origin in consideration in order to benefit of an a disadvantaged group. Introduced widely in the early 1960’s. -
Reed v. Reed
A landmark supreme court case in 1971 in which the courts upheld a claim of gender discrimination, ruling that the administrators of estates cannot be named in a way that discriminates between sexes. -
Equal Rights Amendment
A constitutional amendment originally introduced in Congress in 1972, stating that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” Despite public support, the amendment failed to acquire the necessary support from three-fourths of the state legislature. -
Equal Rights Amendment
A constitutional amendment originally introduced in Congress in 1972, stating that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” Despite public support, the amendment failed to acquire the necessary support from three-fourths of the state legislature. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
A 1978 case holding that a state university could not admit less qualified individuals solely because of their race. This case was later solidified by the case of Fisher v. University of Texas, stating that they are not allowed to withhold without strong reason. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
A law passed in 1990 that required employers and public facilities to make “reasonable accommodations” for people with disabilities and prohibits discrimination against these individuals in employment. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
A law passed in 1990 that required employers and public facilities to make “reasonable accommodations” for people with disabilities and prohibits discrimination against these individuals in employment. -
Lawrence v. Texas
This landmark case, ruling 6-3, in 2003 saying that a Texas sodomy law invalidated and contradicted the constitution, making same-sex sexual activity legal in every U.S state and territory. This case overturned the previous 1986 ruling in Bowers v. Hardwick. -
Fisher v. University of Texas
This case concerned the affirmative action admissions policy of the University of Texas of using race as a factor in college admissions. The courts ruled similar to Grutter v. Bollinger and Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, saying that they are allowed to use this information not withholding admissions to any student without strong reason.
