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13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment of the Constitution stated that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, expets as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place suject to their jurisdiction." This amendment abolished slavery in the United States. This was done after the conclusion of the American Civil War. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment of the Constitution granted citizenship to all people "born or naturalized in the United States." This included any former slaves that were freed recently. This Amendment also certifies that states cannot deny anyone "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law" nor can they deny anyone "equal protection of the laws." This amendment made a huge impact on the expansion of civil rights to all Americans. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment was another great step for African Amercians. This amendment granted African American men the right to vote by stating the "right of the citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Even though this was created, it unfortunately was not recognized unitl almost a century later. Souterhn states were able to stop this with tax poles, and literary tests. -
Jim Crow
The Jim Crow Laws were the racial segregation state and local laws that began after the Reconstruction era in Southern States. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities in the South stating "separte but equal". This painted the White Americans as the inferior race while African Americans were still seen as a lower race and human. -
Poll Taxes
Poll taxes were put forth in the Southern states between 1889 and 1910. The taxes were to stop African Americans from voting because a majority of them did not have the money to afford to vote. This also affected some whites because they did not have the money also. You had to pay the poll tax before you were allowed to vote. -
Literact Tests
The literacy tests were another form that Southern states could use to prevent African Americans from voting. The first form of the test was introduced in 1890. These tests were hard for African Americans to pass because they were not as educated as whites at the time, so on one could pass them; therefore, they could not vote. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
The Plessy versus Ferguson was a landmark Supreme Court decision regarding the constitutionality of the state having laws requiring racial segregation in public facilities with the doctrine of "separte but equal." An African American man Homer Plessy refused to give up his seat to a white man on the train in New Orleans. He was arrested for not giving up his seat. Plessy argued that this violated the "equal protection clause". The court ruled in favor for a 7 to 1 decision. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote. The fight to get this was long and hard; it took a lot of protests and agitation from all parts. This was a huge monument for rights for women and a future milestone that would bring about more change for women regarding their rights and gender roles. -
Korematsu vs. United States
The Korematsu vs. U.S, was a case that concerned the constitutionality of the executive order 9066. This ordered Japanese Americans into internment camps during WW2, regardless of citizenship. The ruling was 6-3 and was in favor of the United States saying that the Japanese American Internment was constitutional. -
Sweatt vs. Painter
Sweatt vs. Painter was a Supreme Court case challenged the "separate but equal" doctrine of racial segregation. This case would later be influenced from the Brown vs. Board of Educations case. Heman Marion Sweatt was denied admission to the School of Law at the University of Texas because they prohibited integrated education. During this trial, a sepearte law school for African Americans was created, but the ruling was that he be admitted to the University of Texas Law School. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
The Brown vs. Education was a case dealing with several schools that still had state-sponsored segregation in public schools. The ruling was that separate educational facilities were not equal and therefore would not be allowed. The court asked that all schools that were segregated to give the attorney generals a plan of what they were going to do to de-segregate the schools. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott sprang forth after Rosa Park, an older African American lady, refused to give up her seat in the front of the bus to a white man. The bus boycott was when African Americans refused to ride city buses in Montgomery, Alabama. They were protesting segregated seating. -
Affirminative Action
Affirmative Action is a policy of being of favor of members who are a part of a minority group that are percieved to struggle with discrimination within a culture. The basis is to try to bring faor to the minority groups so they can recieve the same treatment as majority groups. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment states that any citizen that wants to vote shall not be denied to vote because they cannot pay a poll tax or another tax that people create. This stopped the southern states from denying African Americans the right to vote, although the literarcy tests and grandfather clause were still in place. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 that outlawed dirscrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or where they were born. This act ended unequal rights to vote and ended racial segregation in schools, workplace, and public facilities. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits racial discrimination in voting. it was singed into the law druing the height of American Civil Right Movements. Congress had to amend the Act five times so it could have better protections. This act stopped literacy test and other forms to stop African Americans from voting. -
Robert Kennedy Speech in Indianapolis, IN
Robert Kennedy was due to give a speech to a poor black community in central Indianapolis the evening that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. died. Many thought he should not give the speech; they were concered there would be riots and protests. But instead, Kennedy gave a speech addressing King and giving grace and thanks to all he has done. -
Reed vs. Reed
The Reed vs. Reed was an Equal Protection clause case where the Supreme Court ruled that estates cannot be discriminated between sexes. The case involved a married couple who were separated. They were in conflict over which one would be desginated as the administrator of the estate over their deceased son. They decided to rule in favor of Mrs. Reed and made the decision that administrators cannot discriminate between sexes. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment guaranteed equality of rights under the law. These rights should not be denied or ignored by the United States or any state on the basis of gender. The Congress has the power to enforce these laws so no state could treat genders unfairly. -
Regents of the University of California vs. Bakke
The Regents of the University of California vs. Bakke involved the college only withholding 16 out of 100 seats for minority for the Davis School of Medicine. The Court ruled this "impermissible." Bakke was later admitted to the school of medicine and told the university that is was forbade to take race into account for admissions. -
Bowers vs. Hardwick
Bowers vs. Hardwick was a court decision that had a 5 to 4 ruling. The case was about whether it was constitutional of a Georgia sodomy law criminalizing oral and anal sex between consenting adults in the privacy of their homes when applied to homosexuals. The ruling was that this was valid because there was no "constitutionally protected right to engage in homosexual sex." -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. This includes both mental and physical disabilites that any person may have and makes sure they do not recieve prejudice or have a lack of rights based on their disability. -
Lawrence vs. Texas
In a 6 to 3 ruling, the Lawrence vs. Texas overuled the previous ruling of the Bowers vs. Hardwick. It took down the sodomy law in Texas and invalidated sodomy laws in 13 other states, making same- sex sex legal in every U.S. state and territory. They stated that this was conduct under the 14th Amendment. -
Fisher vs. Texas
The Fisher vs.Texas is regarding the admissions policy at the University of Texas at Austin. The student said the the University is using race too much as a decision when it came to admitting students. The ruling was a 2 to 1 decision ruling in favor of the school, stating that the school is able to use race as a factor when needing diversity. -
Indiana Gay Rights
On October 7th, 2014 gay marriage was legal in the State of Indiana. Many couples even got married the day of the ruling, but an appeal is in order to see if the law os constitunal. As of the current date, getting married as a same-sex couple will not be recognized until the final ruling which will take place in April of 2015.
