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Dred Scott vs. Sandford
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), or more commonly known as the Dred Scott Decision, ruled that people of African descent imported into the United States and held as slaves, or their descendants, regardless if they were slaves or not, were not protected by the Constitution. Along with this, they were also never permitted to be citizens of the United Sates. Another portion of this case was that it states the United States Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in federal territories. -
13th Amendment
With the adoption of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution officially abolished and prohibited slavery, and involuntary servitude (except as a punishment for a crime). It was declared in a proclamation of Secretary of State William H. Seward on December 18th, 1865. The 13th amendment was the first of the Reconstruction Amendments. -
Poll Taxes
A poll tax was a discriminatory tax that essentially limited the ability for citizens to exercise their taxing ability. This tax emerged in some states of the United States in the later part of the 19th century. With the 15th amendment, all races were enabled to vote. However, many southern states enacted poll tax laws to limit the type of people who were able to vote. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted after the Civil War as one of the Reconstruction Amendments on July 9, 1868. This amendment also establishes that states cannot deny life, liberty, and property without due process, nor deny any person equal protections of the laws. With the addition of the 14th Amendment, the concept under which the Supreme Court has nationalized the Bill of Rights by making most of its provisions applicable to the states. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment prohinits each government in the United Stes from denying a citizen the right to voted based on their , “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”. This amendment was ratified on February 3rd, 1870. -
White Primaries
The White Primairies was a law that primary elections in the southern states that only allowed whites to vote. In 1923 Texas passed a law that allowed states to decide who was and was not able to vote in their elections.The last year the Supreme Court ruled against this was in 1944, and it did in fact violate the constituion. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy was one-eighth black, but still legally supposed to be on the “black” train car. Instead of following this rule, he went onto the “white” train car, and was arrested. He took his case to the Supreme Court, which ruled that “separate but equal” was okay, and constitutional. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment grants the right to vote to women. This Amendment was first introduced to the Congress in 1878, but was not passed until 1920. Upon the first introduction of this amendment, the supporters were often taunted and abused. It wasn’t until 1917 and 1918 that public opinion and political balance started to shift due to women’s suffrage and President Wilson’s change to start supporting it. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Black children were denied access and admission to public schools that were attended by white children. The schools were objectively “equal,” but was argued that growing up in separate schools gave minority children a sense of inferiority and was ultimately unequal. The courts ruled that “separate but equal” was unconstitutional and ended the state-maintained racial segregation. -
24th Amendment
With the adoption of the 24th Amendment, Congress and the states were no longer allowed to condition the right to vote in federal election on payment of a poll tax or other types of taxes. This amendment was proposed by Congress in August of 1962, and was ratified in January of 1964. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, was a law that outlawed unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in school, workplace, and served the general public. It is also dimished the descrimiation based on sex, religion, or race. based on sex, religion, or race. -
Voitng Rights Act of 1965
The National Voting Rights Act of 1965 essentially outlaws any racial discrimination in voting. It was signed at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in August of 1965. This act was later amended five times by Congress to expand upon its protection. This act works alongside the 14th and 15th amendment. -
Reed v. Reed
After the passing of their son, the Reed’s (separated) both wanted to gain the estate left behind. Idaho law stated that males must be preferred to females in appointing head of estates. Sally challenged the decision in court and won 7-0; the ruling stated that the Idaho Probate Code was unconstitutional and did not give equal protection to both men and women. -
Equal Rights Amendment
Equal rights under the law shouldn’t be affected on account of sex. Discrimination on the basis of sex cannot be upheld, and the Congress has the power to make laws and enforce this amendment. This amendment had been written and introduced to Congress for the first time in the 1920s, but was not passed until 1972. The 19th Amendment brought the women’s rights activist’s partial victory, but most believed that an amendment needed to be added specifically to require equal rights under the law. -
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA V BAKKE
Bakke, a 35 year old white man, was rejected from admission to the University of California Medical School at Davis. He fought the decision because the school had reserved 16 places in each class for qualified minorities, and Bakka argued that his test scores and qualifications were far above any of the 16 participants that got into each class based on race. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in his favor. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Two men, Hardwick and another, were both arrested after being found engaging in consensual acts with each other in the privacy of Hardwick’s home. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4, upholding Georgia’s state law and ruling that there were no Constitutional protections for acts of sodomy. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The ADA states that employers and businesses cannot discriminate against qualified people with disabilities. This includes firing, not hiring, job training, compensation, among others. -
LAWRENCE V TEXAS
Houston police respond to a weapons disturbance that is reported and enter Lawrence’s house as he is engaging in consensual acts with another man. Both men were arrested under the violation of the state laws prohibiting two people of the same sex to engage in sexual conduct together. The Supreme Court ruled that the law was invalid, and the ruling of Bowers v. Hardwick was overturned.
