-
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred scott was a slave who moved to a free state with the permission of this master. When his master dies, he tried to buy his freedom but was refused. He then went to court, saying that because he was in a free state, he should be a free man. The court ruled that Dred Scott was still a slave. -
13th Amendment
Abolished Slavery and involuntary servitude unless it was punishment for a crime. One of the three amendments passed shortly after the Civil War. -
14th Amendment
Addresses the equal protection and rights of former slaves -
Poll Taxes
A prerequisite to voting in multiple states until 1966, emerged as a response as a response to the 15th amendment in order to make it harder for African-Americans to vote -
15th Amendment
The rights of citizens to vote will not be denied based on race, religion, sex etc.. African Americans were now able to vote. But, this would be made extremely difficult for most black voters due to the rise of Jim Crow during Reconstruction. -
White Primaries
Primary elections held in the Southern states in which only White Americans were allowed to vote. One of the methods used by White Democrats to discriminate against black and minority voters. -
Plessy v Ferguson
Upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws in public facilities as long as they were equal in quality -
19th Amendment
Gave Women the right to vote -
Browns V Board of Education
Ended racial segregation in schools -
Affirmative Action
The policy of favoring members of a disadvantaged group who currently suffer or historically have suffered from discrimination within a culture -
24th Amendment
Prohibits Congress and states from enforcing poll taxes. Southern politicians tried to shift the debate to a states rights issue, but private records indicate that black disenfranchisement was still the true concern. -
Civil Rights of 1964
A landmark civil rights and US labor law that outlawed discrimination based on race, gender, religion, and national origin. The enforcement of the law was, at first, very weak, but were later strengthened by the government. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Law signed by LBJ that prohibited racial discrimination in voting. According to the Department of Justice, it is considered to be the most effective piece of federal civil rights legislation in the country's history. -
Reed v Reed
Started as an estate dispute between a married couple, the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment prohibited differential treatment based on sex. -
Equal rights amendment
An amendment that seeks to end the legal distinctions between men and women in terms of divorce, property, employment, and other matters. Has prompted multiple debates about the meaning of legal equality for women and men ever since it was first introduced in 1921. -
Regents of the University of California v Bakke
Ruled that Universities having racial "quotas" was unconstitutional. But, universities were still allowed to use affirmative action in the admission process. -
Bowers v Hardwick
Upheld the constitutionality of a Georgia law that banned sodomy between consenting adults in private situation. This decision was later overturned in Lawrence v Texas. -
Americans with disabilities act
Prohibits discrimination based on disability. Also requires that covered employers provide appropriate accommodations for the disabled. -
Lawrence v Texas
Struck down sodomy law in Texas and, by extension, invalidated other sodomy laws in 13 states.
