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Dred Scott v. Sanford
In this case, an enslaved individual who had been living in a free state sued because he thought that it wasn't right for him to still remain an enslaved person when he went back to a slave state. The Supreme Court, led by Roger Taney deemed that he would remain a slave and furthered it by saying that he probably didn't have a right to use the courts anyway. This case weakened the strides for civl rights in America. -
13th Amendment
This amendment ended slavery except as a punishment for a crime. This gave African-Americans basic human rights not to be abused without reason. This allowed for the first steps to be taken towards equality between races and directly establishes a law against it, instead of the government just ignoring the oppressive problem. -
14th Amendment
This amendment defines citizenship and outlines that rights of citizens should not be infringed upon without due process. This amendment advanced the rights of racial minorities because they were granted citizenship and rights after they were freed from slavery. This allowed for the Supreme Court to rule in favor of equal protection when faced with discriminatory practices. -
15th Amendment
This amendment gave everyone the right to vote regardless of race or having been a slave. This was a huge gain for the civil rights movement, but this was muted but the Jim Crow Laws, literacy tests, and poll taxes which soon disenfranchised those who just gained suffrage. However, this laid the foundation for the Supreme court of the United States to deem discriminatory voting practices unconstitutional. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
This was a Supreme Court case that deemed racial segregation to be constitutional. By providing "equal" accommodations for different races, segregation was justified and acceptable under law. The problem is that it was hard to prove that the accommodations were not equal. This led to major oppression to racial minorities as they were given poorer quality spaces in both public and private areas. Brown v. Board overturned this case because separate but equal is inherently unequal. -
19th Amendment
This amendment granted women suffrage. This was hard fought with many women advocating for voting rights, but still some people thinking that women were too emotional or uneducated to meaningfully vote. This advanced women's rights and laid the foundation to a more level playing field between the sexes. -
White Primaries
This was the practice of only allowing white voters to participate in the primaries. This prevented racial minorities from voting, which hindered their rights as citizens. When challenged in court, like in Smith v. Allwright, this practice was deemed unconstitutional because it discriminated against black Americans who should have been allowed to vote under the 15th amendment. This event has this date because it is the day before Smith v. Allwright deemed it unconstitutional. -
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
This case was instrumental in ending segregation in schools. A young African-American girl was turned away from a school, despite that it was closer to her home, because of her race. The Supreme Court of the United States deemed that this was unconstitutional and moved that school segregation should be terminated as quickly as possible. This case negated Plessy v. Ferguson. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative action is a policy that, if two candidates are completely equal, then the position should be given to the candidate who will have a harder time finding a position elsewhere. In 1965, it was expanded to include women in the explicitly protected strata. The date attached to this event is when this phrase was initially coined in an executive order by JFK, where he said that everyone should be treated fairly in times of employment without regards to race, ideology, or nationality. -
Poll Taxes
Poll taxes were made to restrict access to voting from African Americans who were oppressed to the point of economic difficulty. Those who were unable to pay the tax were unable to vote. This was a practice that was very discriminatory and was outlawed via the 24th amendment. The date attached to this event is the last day that poll taxes were legal, as there is no definite start date. -
24th Amendment
This amendment outlawed poll taxes which unfairly discriminated against the economically oppressed factions, like African Americans. The state governments who instituted this had to stop this discriminatory practice. This worked to make voting more accessible, advancing the rights of minorities. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act made discrimination on the basis or race, sex, religion, or nationality illegal. It advanced the civil rights movement by guaranteeing a livable environment for everyone by outlawing segregation. It also fought to have more equality and diversity in schools and public places. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act curbed efforts made by state governments to make voting unattainable for minorities. It enforced the 15th amendment by outlawing prerequisites for voting, such as literacy tests, and reinforced the 24th amendment, protecting against policies that disproportionately discriminate against minorities. -
Reed v. Reed
A divorced couple's son died and the two argued over who should be made head of the estate. Their state's code said that men should be favored over women in property disputes, but Ms. Reed sued because this was sexist. SCOTUS ruled that this law was unconstitutional because everyone should be equally protected under law. This advanced women's rights. -
Equal Rights Amendment
This proposed amendment would have confirmed that men and women should have equal rights. It specifically outlined that no sex should be favored in divorce or custody battles and guaranteed women equal rights in property ownership. Many female conservatives did not think that it was needed, so it was struck down. The date attached to this event is the day that it was sent to the states for ratification, which it did not pass. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
A denied applicant to University of California sued because he was thought the program that they had in place that set aside a certain number of seats for oppressed groups was discriminatory towards white males. He won the case because race should not have been a primary factor in decisions, but the court did allow for affirmative action where, if all other factors are equal, a position should be given to a member of an oppressed group over a party with generally more opportunities. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
This case affirmed the constitutionality of a Georgia law that outlawed Sodomy- even in private between consenting adults. This violated the privacy of many Americans and restricted rights of most people, but specifically the LGBTQ+ community. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This act confirmed that Americans with disabilities should not be discriminated against because of their disability. It also mandated that certain public and private buildings be made accessible to those with disabilities, combatting against ableism. -
Lawrence v. Texas
This case advanced the rights of homosexual couples by saying that they have a right to do what they want in their property. This case overturned Bowers v. Hardwick (1986) which upheld the constitutionality of a ban on sodomy. This advanced the rights of homosexual couples by allowing them the privacy to be secure in themselves and in their homes. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that same-sex couples have equal protection under the 14th amendment due process clause. This granted marriage equality in every state, regardless of previously established laws in that state. It also overturned previous precedents, like those established by Baker v. Nelson (1971).
