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Dred Scott v. Sandford
This is the first case that challenged the rights of African Americans. The Supreme Court decided that Dred Scott had no constitutional rights because he is considered property under law. Despite that Scott was a free man in the northern states, he was not considered to have constitutional rights simply that he was black. This led to multiple coalitions of blacks as well as influence in the legislative/executive branches to pass law to overule slavery as a whole. -
13th Amendment
It is a law that was adopted after the civil war (passed during), which abolished slavery in United States. This was a significant win to the African Americans because they'll have more rights as citizens. Despite its passing, the South never had a say in the passing since they it was considered the Confederate States and not the Union. Supposedly, it was one of the punishments the South had to face when they were forced to agree to it after the Civil War ended in a loss. -
14th Amendment
Under this law of United States, all people are considered equal under the protection of the Constitution. Despite its passing, this was a difficult law to adopt. In history, the phrase "seperate but equal" was a valid way of defining different groups in US (i.e. blacks and whites). Over time, there have been court cases that challenge both the amendment and the clause (i.e. Plessy v. Furgusson, Brown v. Board of Education). -
15th Amendment
This law prohibited state government from denying the citizen's right to vote. Regardless of color, race, and previous servitute, most citizens were able to vote. Despite this law, whites (especially in the South) found every way possible to legally exclude blacks from voting polls (i.e. poll taxes, literacy tests, etc.). At this time, women still did not have the right to vote. -
Poll Tax
This was a form of de facto discrimination that challenged poor black sharecroppers that are able to vote. The tax was usually set so high that blacks had no ability to vote simply because they lacked money. Some states implemented the grandfather clause that allowed poor white people to vote because they were exempt from tax. -
White Primaries
These are events prior to the election of the president that prohibited blacks from participating. The Democratic White South believed that they had the power to vote for their important leaders, setting the stage for the election of their favored candidates and not initially swayed by the black vote. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
The court declared that it was constitutional to create seperate institutions only if they are equal. This created the "seperate but equal" doctrine that confirmed the segregation in the South. Along with Jim Crow laws. the African American civil rights activists worked hard to convince the public and the congress for the next 50 years. -
19th Amendment
By this law of United States, no citizen could deny someone's right to vote based on sex. Because of this ruling, women were able to vote in the 1920 election year. This created stirred a hotter women's civil rights movement in the coming half century, including the Equal Rights Amendment that was never passed by the states. -
Brown v. Board of Education in Topeka
This court case ruled that seperate institutions of blacks and whites were certaintly not equal, which made segregation illegal in US from then on. This overruled the court case decision of Plessy v. Ferguson. It is said that segregation violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment. -
Affirmative Action
This federal mandate instituted rules to the states, ruling that these governments must institute special opportunities htat would aid the disadvantaged. This created problems in the admissions process in certain cases like UC v Bakke. This rule overall wants the minorities to have equal opportunities as every other white person in America. -
24th Amendment
By the passing of this bill, it was declrared unconstitutional to instutitute poll taxes towards the national vote. Most of the states were in servatude of this ruling, however it was challenged by a few states. One court case reaffirmed the ruling of this amendment because poll taxes violate the equal protection clause in the 4th amenment. -
CIvil Rights Act of 1964
This law made illegal to discriminate a group of people based on color, race, sex, national origin or religion. The federal government had the most power from this ruling because they are able to institute mandates to teach the future generations that discrimination is wrong. Many court cases challenged the way of rule in the past, including Bakke v. University of California. -
Voting RIghts Act of 1965
By this law in United States, it was declared unconstitutional to discriminate anyone from voting. This was very important in history because for the first time ever, blacks have equal voting opportunities just like every other American that was able to vote. This law was passed during the height of the American Civll Rights Movement. -
Reed v. Reed
This was the first time that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of women, stating that it was unconstitutional to discriminate women in the workplace based on sex. This was supported by the Equal Protection of the 14th amendment. -
Reagents of University of California v. Bakke
This was the first time that affirmative action was taken too far. The Supreme Court declared that being in the minority is not the only criteria that is needed to be admitted into a college or a university. Though the speacial quota on seats for admission were still legal. This was one of the cases that was against the integration process. -
Equal RIghts Amendment
This amendment essentially stated that women would have equal rights in eyes of the law, that they would have the same privilages as men do. Despite that it was passed by the Congress, it did not quite get enough votes from state legislatures before the listed due date. This what would have been the 27 (of the 28) amendment. Feminist movement continued. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
This court case declared that it was constitutionally legal to arrest people that engage in homosexual sex in Georgia. This was supported since it was not show to be supported in the constitution. Another court case in 2003 overruled this decision. -
Americans with DIsabilities Act of 1990
With this law, state government cannot, under most circumstances, discriminate people based on their disability. This federal ruling also became a mandate to accomodate or install any tools, divices, or changes that would help disabilities with their lives. This acts as an editing change to the Civil RIghts Act of 1964. -
Lawrence v. Texas
In this court case, the Supreme Court ruled that sexual activity is allowed between homosexuals. This was a substancial step for the gay rights in America -
University of Texas v. Fisher
It ruled that the University of Texas did not give strict scrutiny to those who applied, much like the court cases in the past that articulated the overexposition of affirmative action. This issued the continuation of affirmative action in US admission process in schools.
