Civil Rights Timeline

Dred Scott v. Sandford

Mar 6, 1857

Scott was a slave in Missouri and left Missouri to go to Illinois. Illinois was a free state because of the Missouri Compromise. While in Illinois he was a free man. He later goes back into Missouri and is not free anymore, so he sues his new master and it goes to the federal court. The court said that Scott wasn't a free man since his descendants weren't originally from America.

13th Amendment

Jan 31, 1865

This was the Amendment that abolished slavery everywhere in the United States. Lincoln realized that the only way to ever get rid of it was to put it in the constitution. Not only banning slavery the 13th amendment also bans involuntary servitude.

14th Amendment

Jun 8, 1866

This amendment said that everyone who has been born in the United States are all citizens and they all are guaranteed the equal protection laws even if they were former slaves.

15th Amendment

1870

This amendment stated that every man can vote. They don't need to own any land and they can be of any race even if they were a former slave.

Plessy v. Ferguson

May 18, 1896

This stated that states can legally have segregation if they choose to have it. This means segregated schools, bathrooms, transportation, etc. However far the states chose to use it they could do it.

19th Amendment

May 21, 1919

This amendment guaranteed that every woman could vote and that it wasn't up to the men to decide what happens in our country. They obviously need to be an American citizen but now all women can vote.

White Primaries

1944

To fuel the divide of segregation in the south, some states made the decision that in the primary elections, only white people could vote. They called it "selectively inclusive".

Brown v. Board of Education

May 17, 1954

In this court case, they essentially repealed what Plessy v. Ferguson said, and now that segregation isn't allowed anymore between white and black people.

24th Amendment

Aug 21, 1962

The 24th amendment basically states that people need to pay a tax to vote for any election. They later decided that was unconstitutional because people have the right to vote and that they shouldn't have to pay for a given right that they have.

Poll Taxes

Jan 23, 1964

To even vote in an election, people would have had to pay to vote and get their voice heard.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Jul 2, 1964

This act stated that people shouldn't be publicly humiliated based on race and so this act said that it was illegal to do so.

Affirmative Action

1965

Affirmative action is supposed to help the social inequalities that happen in lives daily. Some people won't get the opportunities that others get based upon race, gender, sexuality, etc. This promotes equality in everyday situations.

Voting Rights Act 1965

Aug 6, 1965

Once the South had to have people of all colors to be able to vote they would make them take these tests. On these tests, they would have hard questions that black people would have to pass in order to vote. President Lyndon B. Johnson made this act to outlaw this kind of activity for people to vote.

Reed v. Reed

Nov 22, 1971

This case said that everyone is equal and that you can't discriminate against sex. So if a woman wanted to own a piece of land she couldn't even though she was fiscally able to buy it.

Equal Rights Amendment

Mar 22, 1972

This isn't an amendment yet, but it is proposing that women need to be equals to men. This is upon the basis of divorce, property, employment, and other matters. If a woman is able to vote then they should be able to be in control of their own life.

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

Jun 28, 1978

This case stated that universitys can't pick people based upon race. They need to be accepting of all races if they are all qualified candidates.

Bowers v. Hardwick

Jun 30, 1978

If states want to enforce gay marriage and say that is illegal or homosexual things then they could. At this point in time they could let the states decide what happens.

Americans with Diabilities

Jul 26, 1990

This act was making everyone equal but based upon some of the restrictions that some people have either physically or mentally. This means no one can discriminate against a person based upon restrictions, like in the workplace, or everyday activities like looking at the computer or tv. Making things to be easily accessible.

Lawrence v. Texas

Jun 26, 2003

This court overruled Bowers v. Hardwick because now all states have to accept everyone, even if they have a different sexuality. The court now has protected their rights as free individuals and the states cannot infringe upon that.

Obergefell v. Hodges

Jun 26, 2015

This states that all same-sex couples can marry each other in every state. Before this they either couldn't get married in the state that they were living in or they just we partners for the rest of their lives.