-
The Supreme Court came to a 7-2 decision that it was constitutional that slave, Dred Scott, was not considered to have freedoms under the U.S. Consitution, as African Americans were not deemed real citizens of the country. They also ruled that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. This decision enraged many Americans as it pushed the U.S. towards Civil War.
-
The 14th amendment is responsible for granting citizenship to those born or naturalized in the United States. It also guaranteed equal protection of the laws.
-
The 13th Amendment essentially abolishes slavery through the words of "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." It was passed by Congress in January of 1865 but not ratified until the following December.
-
The 15th Amendment allowed for African American men to vote. This amendment followed both the 13th and 14th amendments as a push in the right direction. Although this seemed good at the time, many obstacles were put in place on African American men to limit their voting abilities.
-
This case ultimately came to the conclusion (on a 7-1 decision) that segregation was not unconstitutional, as well as both parties are being provided with equal amenities. This landmark decision led to the doctrine known today as "separate but equal". This is significant because it established the "constitutionality of racial segregation", and it leads to a greater divide between white and African American people in America-especially regarding education.
-
This amendment prohibits the state and federal governments from denying citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex.
-
Back in the day, many southern states partook in what is now known as white primaries. They were essentially primary elections in which only white people were allowed to vote.
-
Brown v. Board of Education concluded as a unanimous decision that it was unconstitutional for children to be racially segregated at school. The "separate but equal" doctrine began to be questioned by the court, and by this point was deemed inherently unequal according to the Equal Protection Clause (14th amendment). This case marked a turning point for America's deep-rooted racial injustice issues.
-
The 24th amendment abolished poll taxes as a prereq for the ability to vote. They were used to disenfranchise impoverished, minority voters back before 1964.
-
Put into place so that Americans were not denied the ability to vote if they had failed to pay any sort of tax or poll tax. This applied whether or not the election is a primary, presidential, etc.
-
This was put in place in order to end segregation. Additionally, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination of race, sex, color, religion, and national origin. Later on, this leads to sexual orientation and gender identity.
-
This act prohibited discriminatory voting practices, specifically literacy tests. It was an act to enforce the 15th amendment, as well as a landmark in federal legislation regarding racial discrimination.
-
Reed v. Reed was decided unanimously in 1971; The Idaho Probate code was unconstitutional and went directly against the 14th amendment. The court held that the different treatment of men and women was unconstitutional. It was the first time in history that the Court used the Equal Protection clause to influence their decision-this time in support of women's rights.
-
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a significant historic event that would essentially establish legal rights for all Americans, regardless of sex. It is important in regards to the Consitutiotion being interpreted and carried out correctly.
-
The Regent of the University of California v. Bakke case decided on two issues with an 8-1 decision for Bakke. The court ruled that it was unconstitutional for a college or university to use racial "quotas" during the admissions process. They also ruled that it was constitutional to accept minority applicants on the basis of race using "affirmative action" in some cases. The Regent of the U of California v. Bakke is sometimes referred to as "reverse discrimination".
-
The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision, on the Bowers v. Hardwick case, that the Constitution does not protect acts of sodomy and that the states could outlaw those practices on their own terms. The court upheld the Georgia state law banning this act. 17 years down the road, it would be overturned by the Lawrence v. Texas case in 2003.
-
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures that the civil rights of those with disabilities are protected just like everyone else's. ADA prohibits discrimination, specifically in the workforce, of wage determination, hiring/firing, and it requires workers with disabilities to receive accommodations from their employer.
-
In a 6-3 decision by the Supreme Court in 2003, the Lawrence v. Texas case deemed that a law criminalizing two persons of the same sex engaging in certain intimate sexual conducts was unconstitutional. The Court held that this law violates the Due Process Clause. This landmark decision is huge in terms of the constitutional, private, and human rights of Americans in the LGBTQ+ community.
-
In 2015, a 5-4 decision made by the Supreme Court allowed for state bans on same-sex marriages to be lifted, and for recognition of those marriages in all 50 states. This was backed by the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This was a major turning point for the LGBTQ+ community and gave hope to many Americans for the future of the U.S.
-
By definition, affirmative action is/relates to "a set of policies and practices within a government or organization seeking to include particular groups based on their gender, race, creed or nationality in areas in which they were excluded in the past such as education and employment". In the 2016 case: United States v. Texas, the Supreme Court affirmed a lower court's decision.
