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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott v. Sandford was a Supreme Court Case in which it was ruled that black people could not be citizens of the United States, whether free or enslaved, as well as saying slaves were property under the 5th Amendment. Finally, it was ruled that parts of the Missouri Compromise involving freeing slaves was unconstitutional. Interestingly, it wasn't an unanimous decision. It was a 7-2 decision in favor of Sandford. The 2 dissenting judges, Benjamin Curtis and John McLean wrote harsh dissents. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. This Amendment came about at the end of the Civil War, and passed the required number of states to become an Amendment. Importantly as well, the Amendment also said that Congress would have the power to enforce the article through legislation, which may be important today. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment is still at the heart of a lot of debate today. Section 1 of the Article said all people born or naturalized in the US are citizens of the U.S, as well as the equal and proper protection clause. Section 2 talks about how representatives will be apportioned based on population in the states. Section 3 talks about rebellion against the U.S., and how that would disqualify someone to run for office. Section 4 talks about states not paying debts of insurrection. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment was the Amendment that assured citizens of the United States the right to vote, regardless of race, color, or if the person had previously been a slave. -
Poll Taxes
Poll taxes began in the 1890s as a way to keep African Americans from voting, by having individuals pay a tax to vote. A special "grandfather clause" was used to keep poor whites voting, in which it stated any man who's father or grandfather had voted could vote without tax, and since no African American's father's or grandfather's had voted, they couldn't use it. The poll taxes had the wanted effect of stopping African Americans from voting. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was a Supreme Court case in which Plessy, a black man under Louisiana law, sat in a "whites-only" train car as part of a test of the system. He was arrested, and the case made it to the Supreme Court. In a 7-1 decision, it was found that separate train cars didn't discriminate against blacks. Justice Harlan wrote in a dissenting opinion, that the Constitution was color blind, and that all citizens should have equal access to civil rights. -
White Primaries
White primaries were primary elections in which only white people could vote. These were often set up by the Democratic Party in the South, who often had control of the state legislature making these rules. These white primaries happened in South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Georgia. -
19th Amendment
This Amendment stated that women have the right to vote. This was the object of years and years of women protesting for the right to vote, and it was finally achieved with the 19th Amendment. Lucy Burns and Alice Paul were some important leaders who led the movement forward. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was an amendment that was meant to guarantee equal rights for all Americans regardless of sex. However, it is not an official Amendment to the Constitution, as a number of states have not approved it. To this day, the Equal Rights Amendment has not be officially amended to the Constitution, leaving women's rights mainly up to the states. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court Case in which it was ruled that separate but equal facilities were inherently unequal, as they instilled a sense of "I'm lesser than" into black children. This then had a hugely detrimental effect on the education and personal growth of African American children. The decision was unanimous for Brown. The Court also ruled it's decision would be put into place as soon as possible, and placed a large responsibility on local school officials. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment was written to stop states from having poll taxes, which were basically taxes on voting. These taxes were there to stop poor whites and African Americans from voting, and the 24th Amendment outlawed taxes such as these. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a major act that forbade discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Today, it extends to sexual orientation and gender identity. At the time, it also outlawed unequal application of voter registration requirements, segregation of schools, and employment discrimination. It was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act was another major law that helped guarantee the right for any citizen of the United States to vote. It was amended 5 times to expand its protections. It notably, specifically outlined how elections should be run in the U.S., as well as specifically outlawing any laws that end in discrimination of a certain group or race in their vote. Another interesting provision requires bilingual ballots if the circumstance requires. This was a major win for the Civil Rights movement. -
Reed v. Reed
This lesser known case dealt with a clear breach of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Reed v. Reed had to do with a couple that was fighting over taking their son's estate, and according to Idaho law at the time, males were preferred to females in these circumstances. The decision was unanimous in favor of Sally Reed, and the court found that the Idaho Probate Code violated the 14th Amendment. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke was a Supreme Court Case in which Bakke, a medical student, was rejected from the University of California on the basis of race, while other, minority students were let in with lower test scores and college GPAs than him. He alleged that the affirmative action system at the University of California discriminated against him based on race. In an 8-1 decision, it was found there was discrimination against Bakke. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Bowers v. Hardwick was a case in which Hardwick, a gay man, was found having consensual sex with another man. There was a police officer who found them, and Hardwick's actions went against Georgia law. In a 5-4 decision, it was found that the Constitution did not give a right to Hardwick, and that states could have laws against homosexuality. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a law that prohibits discrimination towards Americans with disabilities. It was signed into law by George H.W. Bush, and later amended by George W. Bush. The bill includes both mental and physical conditions. -
Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action is the policy of favoring certain groups over others due to their race or gender, due to past discrimination. It is largely controversial and still debated about to this day. Affirmative Action can most frequently be seen in college application systems. -
Lawrence v. Texas
This case was another involving homosexuality, in two men were caught engaging in consensual homosexual sex, and were arrested under Texas Law. In a 6-3 decision by the Court, it was found that the Texas Law against homosexuality was unconstitutional and violated the Due Process Clause. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Obergefell v. Hodges was a Supreme Court Case in which homosexual couples sued for the right to marry each other. In a 5-4 decision, it was found under the Equal Protection Clause, homosexual couples had the right to marry.