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13th Amendment
This amendment in the constitution declares that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment of crime whereof the party shall have been duly cinvicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Basically this amendment abolished slavery. -
14th Amendment
This amendment grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States. This amendment started immigration in the United States due to this new amendment. Although this casued a new problem in the States, it gave American citizens new and better privileges than other people or immigrants. -
15th Amendment
This amendment grants African American men the eligiblility to vote. When this amendment was ratified, southern states found different methods to disenfranchise African American men through poll taxes, literacy tests, and charging fees. -
Plessy V. Ferguson
In this situation, there was a law in Louisiana that no blacks were allowed to sit the white cars on a railroad. Plessy could have passed a white man but was technically, under law, a black man. He was sent to jail for his act. This case started the phrase, "Separate facilities for blacks and whites are constitutional as long as they are 'equal'". -
Jim Crow Laws
The Jim Crow laws were racial segregation local and state laws enacted in southern United States that continued in force until 1965 mandating racial segregation in all public facilities in southern U.S. states, starting in 1890 with a "separate but equal" status for African Americans. Conditions for African Americans were consistently inferior and underfunded compared to those provided for white Americans. -
Literacy Tests
Literacy tests were suppose to be subjective, equal, and effective. These tests were interrigated towards blacks so they could not vote and harder for blacks or anyone for that matter to pass. The government purposly made the tests harder for blacks so they did not have the right to vote when they did not pass the literacy test. -
Poll Taxes
Poll Taxes were in the southern states between 1889 and 1910. The poll taxes had the effect of disenfranchising many people, specifically blacks and poor whites, becuase pay this fee was a prerequisite in order to vote. -
19th Amendment
The 19th amendment consisted of the voting rights for women. For many years prior this issues suffered tremendously. Women suffered their whole lives to recieve this privilege as an American should get. American women fought for these rights for decades and in August, 1920, the right for women to vote was finally ratified. -
Korematsu v. United States
During World War II, the United States Army stopped providing protection to any person that had ancestory to asian or japanese culture or ethincity. -
Sweatt v. Painter
Sweatt was an applicant to the University of Texas Law School and was rejected solely becase of his race. When Sweatt asked the state courts to order his admission, the university attempted to provide separate but equal facilities for black law students. -
Brown v. Board of Education
In this time period, black students were denied at public schools because of the laws requiring or permitting segregation according the races. The white and black schools were approached equally in terms of buildings, curricula, qualifications, and teacher salaries. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
During this time period, there were African Americans that refused to move to a certain area of the bus. While this was happening, it was normal to have whites at the front of the bus and blacks in the back of the bus. Just days before the boycott, Rosa Parks, and African American woman, refused to move seats for a white man. This case in court lasted 381 days and the court ruled in Rosa's favor. The court forced public transportation to be totally integrated from then on forward. -
24th Amendment
This amendment allowed people in the United States to to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, electors, or for Senator or Representative in Congress. This bless congress to have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 consisted of people, mostly women, being angered by the government not enforcing the 14th amendment. In response, all three branches of the federal government debated if these issues were constitutional or not. Such as equal protection, ban the use of racial, ethnic, or gender criteria, and attempt to to bring social justice and social benefits. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act put an end to racism and segregation within the voting rights in the United States, reguarding to blacks and whites. There were plenty of times where there were riots and protesting in different popular cities against this act. This movement improved equality in America. -
Robert Kennedy Speech in Indianapolis upon death of MLK
This speech was given due to the death of Martin Luther King Jr. He was shot while standing outside his balcony. Kennedy was supposed to give a routine campaign speech for Indianapolis, until he was told to delivery the news that MLK was dead. -
Reed v. Reed
Ms. Reed's son died and alleges a salute that prefers males over females in an admisitrative estateto where they both have equal claims. This violates the equal protection clause in the 14th amendment. -
Equal Rights Amendment
This amendment was passed in Congress for the purpose of having equal rights for men, women, blacks and whites in the United States. This reformation of America caused many debates and controversy around the nation. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Allen Bakke was a 35 year old man that applied to the University of California and was rejected due to the fact that he a minority. The university had stated that all people were welome to apply and were going to be chosen if completely qualified. He went to federal court to defend himself and being rejected solely on his race. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Michael Hardwick was being watched by a police officer while "being" with another man. The police officer arrested the man for violated the state of Georgia's laws. Since Hardwick did not state a claim, the case was dismissed but later to find that his lawyer, Bowers, was able to prove Hardwick and ruled that the arrest was unconstitutional. -
Americans With Disabilities Act
The Unites States constitution says that all Americans are protected, but it did not state anything for Americans with disabilities. The act enables civil liberties and constitutional rights to all people, including people with mild and severe disabilities. -
Lawrence v. Texas
A man, Lawrence, was arrested for "being" with another man and causing a disturbance with violence. Once the case was taken all the way to the supreme court, the court ruled that the interrigation was unconstitutional due to the process clause ratified in 1986. -
Fisher v. Texas
In 2012, The University of Texas was required to accept all applicants that were ranked in the top ten percentile in their graduating class. The university noticed a high and low side of races in these percentiles and then decided to justify their standards for different applicants due to their race. -
Indiana's Gay Rights
Indiana became a pro-gay rights state in late 2014. The case was split half and half in favor of passing the law and is now in full swing in the Hoosier state. -
Affirmative v. Action
This is also known as positive discrimination in the policy favoring members of a disadvantage group who are perceived to suffer from discrimination within a culture.
