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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott had been a slave in Missouri but had also lived in Illinois where he was free. Scott sued for his freedom because he was living in a free state. In a 7-2 decision, it was ruled that anyone who had ancestors who were slaves couldn't be US citizens. This meant that they also couldn't sue in court. The case was also dismissed because of this. -
13th Amendment
It passed Congress on January 31, 1865. It was ratified on December 6, 1865. This amendment abolished slavery, in any form, in the entire US forever. It also included involuntary servitude to pay off debts. -
14th Amendment
It was passes by the Senate on June 8, 1866. It was ratified on July 9, 1868. This amendment said that anyone born in the US was given citizenship. It also included those that had been enslaved. It gave all citizens "equal protection under the laws." -
15th Amendment
This amendment was passed by Congress on February 26, 1869 and was ratified on February 3, 1870. It gave African-American MEN the right to vote. Very quickly African-American men began running in elections and voting. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
This case was decided on May 18, 1896. Homer Plessy (who was 7/8 Caucasian) sat in the "whites only" car on a Louisiana train. He was told to leave but he refused and was then arrested. He said this violated the 14th amendment. In a 7-1 decision it was ruled that accommodations can be separate but equal. Segregation was continued because of this. -
19th Amendment
This law was signed into action on August 26, 1920. This amendment gave women the right to vote. While technically it gave all women the right to vote most women who weren't white were discriminated against and weren't allowed to vote until many, many years later. -
Brown v. Board of Education
It was decided on May 17, 1954. Multiple students had been denied admittance to public schools. The question was if the segregation of public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. It was decided that separate but equal facilities for education wasn't actually equal and that they needed to be. -
Civil Rights act of 1964
Signed into action by President Johnson on July 2, 1964. This act said that no one could be discriminated against based on race or sex. It affected federal programs and public occupations. It helped enforce the voting rights act and help with the desegregation of schools. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Signed into action by President Johnson on August 6, 1965. This act ruled that the practices of literacy tests or other discriminatory tests to keep some from voting was illegal. Before this these practices had been continued since the Civil War. -
Affirmative Action
It was issued by President Johnson on September 9, 1965. It was designed to create more work and education opportunities for those who are underrepresented in their areas. It was created to help prevent more discrimination of this kind in the future -
Equal Rights Amendment
It was put into action in 1972. It was passed by Congress and then also sent to states to be passed. This amendment was created to give women protection from sexual discrimination. -
Title IX
It protects against sexual harassment and sexual violence against women in schools. It also declares that women have to have equal opportunities in schools. This includes in which classes they can take along with having an equal amount of men's and women's sports. Nothing can be decided upon on the basis of sex. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
It was decided on June 28, 1878. The university was admitting students based only on race. It was decided that these decisions violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment along with the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
A Georgia police officer saw Michael Hardwick engaging in homosexual activity. He was charged. It was a 5-4 decision. It was decided that consensual homosexual acts were not protected under the constitution. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
It was signed on July 26, 1990. This act stops discrimination based on the fact that someone has a disability. It also says that state and local government must make accommodations in public and commercial facilities, transportation, and communication. -
Shelby County v. Holder
This was a significant turning point for voting rights. The decision was 5-4. It said that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
It was decided on June 26, 2015. It says that the 14th amendment requires that every state to recognize and license same-sex marriages. This was a big step because it had been brought up many, many times before and was finally legal. -
Voter ID Laws
This is applicable even to current elections. It says that states must require people to show identification to be able to vote.