-
13th Amendment
This amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery officially, the historically oppressive institution that had plagued America since its founding and that had led to a massive war. -
14th Amendment
Arguably the most important civil rights moments was when this amendment was ratified, stating that all citizens have equal protection under the law--directly established as a response to the discrimination to former slaves in teh country. -
Poll Taxes
These taxes were enacted by southern states in order to keep black men from voting. -
15th Amendment
This amendment was also a direct response to discimination against former slaves by stating that all men of all races could vote, even if they were former slaves. -
Literacy Tests
These were enacting in voting booths in order to prevent the new immigrants (from southern and eastern Europe) from voting. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v Ferguson was a landmark court case that upheld the constitutionality of making public facilites "separate but equal" in reards to racial segregation. The case was a result of Homer Plessy's actions of civil disobedience in Lousisiana. -
19th Amendment
This was the amendment that prohibits any American citizen from being denied to the right to vote on the basis of sex, finally giving the other half of the country a voice. -
Equal Rights Amendment
This was a proposed amendment that was designed to gain equal rights for women, but has yet not been ratified even to this day, indicating that sexism is still prevalent in our nation. -
Korematsu v United States
Korematsu v US was a landmark United States Supreme Court case concerning the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, which ordered Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II. The judges decided that the order was constitutional. -
Sweatt v Painter
This case challenged the 1896 decision of Plessy v Ferguson which instilled the "separate but equal" policy. Sweatt v Painter sucessfully provided opposition against segregation and led eventually to Brown v Board of Education, which ended segregation altogether. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education is the Supreme Court case that officially established that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This was a major victory for the Civil Rights Movement. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
This social and political protest against segregation in public transportation was instigated by Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat to a white man, and was arrested for her actions. The boycott proved successful and led to the ruling of Browder v Gayle, declaring segregation in buses is unconstitutional. -
Jim Crow Laws
These racial segregation laws established a "separate but equal" status in the south, which led to inferior circumstances for African Americans--a huge blow to civil rights. -
Ruby Bridges
Bridges was one of the six black children that passed the test to attend a white school once integration was being implemented in southern schools. Walking through crowds of malicious, angry citizens who threw things at her and yelled obscenities, this brave young girl relentlessly tried to go to school nonetheless--one of the first black students to attend a white school in the south. -
24th Amendment
Regardless of the fact that technically they could vote due to the 15th Amendment, colored men were often left out of federal elections due to poll taxes (and other taxes), until this amendment ridded of this unjustice by stating that this was unconstitutional. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This was a landmark piece of civil rights legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, or national origin. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This piece of legislation prohibited racial discrimination in voting by prohibited literacy tests and other similiar devices. This act enforced the 14th and 15th amendments. -
Loving v Virginia
Loving v Virginia was a case that made a civil rights decision to invalidate laws prohibiting interracial marriage. Two people of different races could now be married. -
Robert Kennedy Speech in Indianapolis upon death of MLK
While campaigning in Indiana, Kennedy heard the news about MLK and decided to give a moving, passionate speech for peace in the African'American ghetto. This speech was one of the greatest speeches made in the modern era. -
Reed v. Reed
Reed v. Reed was an Equal Protection case which ruled that administrators of estates cannot be named in a way that discriminates against any sex. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action is defined as "the policy of favoring members of a disadvantaged group who are perceived to suffer from discrimination within a culture." In America, heated debate has raged over its legitimacy and reliability. -
Regents of the University of California v Bakke
This case was a landmark equal protection decision that upheld affirmative action, allowing race to be one of several factors in college admission policy. -
Bowers v Hardwick
Bowers v Hardwick was the supreme court case that upheld the constitutionality of Georgia's sodomy law criminalizing anal and oral sex when applied to homosexuals. It was overturned in 2003 after being found unconstitutional. -
Americans with Disabilites Act
The American with Disabilites Act prohibits discriniation based on disability or mental or phsyical health issues. Public entities and services are required to accomodate these people. -
Lawrence v Texas
In Lawrence v Texas, the Court struck down the sodomy law in Texas and eliminated sodomy laws in thirteen other states, making same-sex sexual activity legal in every U.S. state. -
Fisher v Texas
Fisher v Texas was a Supreme Court case concerning the affirmative action admissions policy of the University of Texas. The court voided the concern in favor of the university. -
Same-Sex Marriage Rights in Indiana
A court of appeals found Indiana's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. However, these decisions may be invalidated or overturned. Gay marriage is on the high court’s Sept. 29 agenda for a closed-door conference.
