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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott vs. Sandford was the foundation for all civil rights. Dred Scott was a slave that lived in multiple states but ended up residing in Missouri at the time of the case. Him and his wife both sued due to the fact that they thought they were wrongfully enslaved. This case went all the way to the supreme court. Scott ended up losing the case though. This case sparked the start of civil rights. It also had a huge impact on the focus of slavery in the civil war. -
13th Amendment
On December 6th 1865, the 13th amendment was ratified and put into full affect. This amendment abolished slavery and any involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. This amendment was a result from all the work President Abraham Lincoln had done during his time in office. This Amendment was the first time that we saw the start of freedom for the African American population. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment was put into full affect on July 9th, 1868. This amendment stated that any person born or naturalized in this country are a citizen. No state can enforce or make any laws that abridge on a citizens privileges and immunities. They also can not deny equal protection of the laws, or deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment was ratified on the 2nd of February, 1869. This amendment stated that the right of a United States citizen to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on the account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. This amendment was the start of African American voting rights. Although it was only men and it was still a pain to register, it was a start. -
White Primary
White Primaries were used as another method to disenfranchise most minority voters. This Method was used used mainly from 1890 to 1908 by prior confederate states. White Primaries were primaries held in the south that only permitted white voters to vote. This ensured that no minority voters would have a say in the elections. Thankfully this method was soon taken care of. These Primaries took place over a long period of time, there was no specific date. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was argued in court on May 18, 1896. Plessy argued that his rights were violated due to the fact that Ferguson refused to sit in the cart for “blacks only” on their train. The supreme court ruled “separate-but-equal facilities constitutional on intrastate railroads, and that the 14th amendment only applied to political and civil rights, not social rights.” -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment was passed on August 18th, 1920. Nowadays, most people already know about the 19th amendment, making it one of the most well known. This amendment gave women the right to vote. Prior to 1920, women were very limited in the rights that they had. This amendment wrote a new chapter for women all across The United States -
Brown v. Board of Education
Argued on December 9th through 11th in 1952 and decided on May 17th of 1954, brown v. Board of Education was the consolidation of cases in Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, and Washington D.C. relating to public schools and the segregation in and around them. The school board argued for it while Brown argued against it. The court ruled that segregated schools were legal as long as the black and white schools were equal. -
Affirmative Action
The process of a business or governmental agency in which it gives specail rights of hiring ethnic minorities to make up for past discrimination against that minority, started in 1961. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment was ratified on the 23rd of January, 1964. This amendment stated that the right of a citizen to vote in any election, shall not be abridged or denied by the United States or any state by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax. This amendment ended the almost century long struggle of trying to register to vote for African Americans. This amendment was directly following the actions of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior in the south. -
Poll Taxes
Poll taxes were taxes on basic privileges of citizenship. This included taxes on voter registration, issuance of drivers licenses, and resident hunting and fishing licenses. Poll taxes were a huge burden on a large part of the population. African Americans especially had a hard time dealing with every kind of poll tax. These poll taxes were eventually stopped when the 24th amendment was passed. -
Civil Rights act of 1964
The Civil Rights act of 1964 was the pinnacle of civil rights. This was the sort of outcome protesters were hoping for at some point in time. The Civil rights act ended segregation in public places, and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. This law was first brought up by John F. Kennedy but was signed into office by Lyndon B. Johnson. This act signed the end of segregation for those affected by it. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law on the 5th of may. This act aimed to overcome certain legal barriers at state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote. This was the sort of final act that was passed that put a huge impact on the world of segregation. This act shocked the world when put into affect. It is considered one of the most far-reaching pieces of legislation in U.S. History. -
Reed v. Reed
Sally argued and took her ex-husband/boyfriend to an idaho court after their son died. They both sought to be the Administrator of their sons Estate, but the husband was given it instead. Sally Reed argued this in court on October 19th of 1971, and the court ruled on November 22nd of 1971 that the decision of who the administrator was should not and can not be decided solely on the basic fact of sex. -
Equal Rights Amendment
Designed to guarantee equal rights to all american citizens regardless of race, sex, look, voice, etc. It also looks to end legal distinctions between men and women when it comes to divorce, property, employment, and other important matters. This amendment was conceived on March 22, 1972. It was first proposed by the National Women's political party in 1923. 15 states did not ratify the amendment by the deadline in 1982. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Argued on October 12th of 1977, a 35 year old white man named Allan Bakke, was rejected twice from the medical school in California. He took it to court saying he was rejected solely because of his race. The court decided on June 26th of 1978 that the school did violate the rights of Bakke; however, race was unconstitutional when it came to getting into higher public schools. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Argued on March 31st of 1986, Michael Hardwick from Georgia was observed by an officer for enganging in the act of consensual homosexual sodomy with another man in his home. He argued sodomy is protected under the federal law and is constitutional. The court ruled on June 30th of 1986 that the constitution does not protect sodomy. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
Shortened by being called ADA, this act was designed as a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against those who have a disability in all areas of public life. This includes jobs, schools, transportation, and all private places as well that are open to the general public for use as benefit.the act was passed on July 26, 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. -
Lawrence v. Texas
Argued on March 26th of 2003, John Lawrence was engaging in a consensual sexual act with another man by the name of Tyron Garner. Police arrested both under the texas law that two same sex may not endulge in same sex intercourse. The court ruled on June 26th of 2003 that the Texas law violates the Due Process Clause. This led the court to overrule the Bowers v. Hardwick case decision. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Argued on April 28th of 2015, same sex couples sued their relevant state agencies in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee to argue the states laws of same sex marriages ban and its unconstitutionality. The court ruled on June 26th of 2015 that the state law is unconstitutional due to the fact that not allowing them to marry would deny them equal protection under the law.
