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Dred Scott v. Sandford
This case was from 1846-1857. Dred Scott was a slave who sued for freedom. Arguing that because he lived in a free state and territory, that he was a free man. In 1857, the Supreme Court shocked the nation. They ruled in a 7-2 decision that African Americans could not be a citizen and for the Missouri Compromise to be unconstitutional. They stated that the government has no authority to regulate slavery. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and was ratified on December 6, 1865. This amendment abolished Slavery in the U.S., making slavery officially illegal. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment was passed by the Senate on June 8, 1866, and was ratified 2 years later on July 8, 1868. This amendment granted citizenship to all who were born or naturalized in the U.S. This included all former slaves and provided all citizens with equal protection under the laws. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment was passed by Congress on February 26, 1869, and was ratified on February 3, 1870. This amendment granted U.S. African American men the right to vote. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
This Supreme Court case happened on May 18, 1896, and the court ruled 7-1 for Ferguson. This case concerns whether racial segregation laws were constitutional or not. Plessy was 1/8 African American and7/8 White, and he refused to give up his seat that was assigned to a white passenger. Equal but separate public accommodations for blacks and whites didn't violate the 14th Amendment. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and was ratified on August 18, 1920. This granted women the right to vote. It would no longer deny the right to vote, due to their sex. -
Brown v. Board of Education
On May 5, 1954, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that racial segregation in public schools violates the 14th Amendment. This decision declared that separate school facilities for African Americans and white students were unequal. This would allow students of different races to learn and work together. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment was ratified on January 23, 1964. This amendment eliminated poll taxes. It abolished the Federal and State governments from imposing taxes on voters during elections. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act prohibited discrimination on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. It was known as a landmark in Civil Rights and Labor Law in the U.S. It prohibited discrimination in public places, and the integration of schools and facilities, and made employment discrimination illegal. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act was signed into law on August 6, 1965 by President Lyndon. It prohibited discriminatory voting practices that were mostly developed in Southern states after the Civil War. This act got rid of any pre requests tests to voting, like the literacy test. -
Affirmative Action
On this day President Johnson issued an Executive Order that prohibited employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, and national origin by those organizations receiving federal contracts. -
Equal Rights Amendment
This Amendment was made in 1972 and was designed to guarantee protection against sexual discrimination for women under the law. This was passed by both houses of Congress and was sent to individual states for ratification. -
Title IX
Title IX was passed in 1972 to say that both male and female students and employees in educational settings are treated equally. It protects against discrimination based on sex. Title IX protects transgender students and students who don't conform to gender stereotypes. It prohibits discrimination based on gender, gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
In this case, Bakke was a white male who applied to medical school at the University of California at Davis. His application was rejected because of the school’s racial quota system. Bakke sued the school, arguing that the racial quota system was unconstitutional and a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As a result, four of the justices said that a racial quota system supported by the government violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Bakke was able to be admitted into the University. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
On June 30, 1986, the Supreme Court case in which the Court considered whether a person had a Constitutional right to engage in homosexual sex. They said that the Constitution does not protect the right of gay adults to engage in private, consensual sodomy. In a 5-4 decision, the state of Georgia banned sodomy. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This act was the first comprehensive civil rights law for Americans with disabilities. This was signed by President Bush and prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in; employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications, and government public services and programs. -
Voter I.D. Laws
The first voter ID laws were passed in the 1950s and '60s but didn't emerge on the federal level until much later. States have now adopted different levels of rules for voting with some states requiring photo ID and some not. Voter ID laws are still a topic many people disagree on across the country. -
Shelby County v Holder
This court case was a turning point for voting rights in the United States. Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. delivered the opinion of the 5-4 decision. The Court held that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act imposes current burdens that are no longer responsive to the current conditions in the voting districts in question. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
On August 28, 2015, the United States Supreme Court ruled in a landmark decision that the 14th Amendment requires all states to license marriages between same-sex couples and to recognize all marriages that were lawfully performed out of state.