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Annexation of Texas
When James K. Polk took presidency in December, 1845, he signed a bill that allowed immediate annexation of Texas as the 28th state of the Union. Texas was officially a part of the union on February 19, 1846. This caused US relations with Mexico to slowly dissolve over time due to border disputes. Not long after the Mexican-American War broke out due to a failure to agree on a border. -
Massachusetts Compulsory Education Law
Massachusetts was the first U.S. state to pass a compulsory education law. A compulsory education law requires a public school placed in each city/town and every child must attend school. Over the next 65 years, each state required all children to attend school, ending with Mississippi. The goal of compulsory education was to create better and more civilized workers. -
Plessy VS Ferguson
A man named Homer Plessy, who was 7/8th white and 1/8th black, booked a train ride for “whites only” and was prosecuted when he refused to move to a car assigned for African Americans. Plessy claimed that the Separate Car Act was unconstitutional. Judge Ferguson dismissed Plessy’s claim. May 18, 1896 the supreme court declared “separate but equal”, which allowed for laws that separate services for black and white people. -
Brown Vs Board of Education Topeka
A parent named Oliver Brown filed against Topeka, Kansas school board because his son was denied access to Topeka’s white schools. Since the Topeka’s white and black schools were not equal, brown said that racial segregation of children in public schools violates equal protection clause and the 14th amendment. Desegregation didn’t immediately follow but the Brown Vs Board of Education trial, but it did influence acts toward racial equality. -
Title IX
The Education Amendments Act included Title IX. Title IX prohibits discrimination against women in financially funded education facilities. Title IX states no person shall be excluded, denied benefits of or be discriminated against under any public education program. This act was the first step to changing women’s experience in education for the better. -
The Education for all Handicapped Children Act
The Education for all Handicapped Children Act (EHA) ensures handicapped students one free meal per day, a lesson plan as close to regular standards as possible and lesson planning procedures that include parent’s authority to dispute anything in their child’s curriculum. The act encourages handicapped students to mix with non-impaired students as much as possible. The EHA act was put in place to protect handicapped students and ensure they’re receiving equal opportunities for education. -
Plyler VS Doe
In June of 1982, the Supreme Court declared that states cannot legally deny students public education due to immigration status. In 1975, Texas schools allowed public schools access to foreign-born students and eventually started charging tuition to students who weren’t “legally admitted.” Eventually a group of students from Mexico challenged the policy. After investigation, the supreme court found that the policy violates the constitution. -
Proposition 187
California Proposition 187 says that illegal immigrants living in California did not qualify for public social services, health care services or public school. Financially California would save about $200 Million in local and state government funds.