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Dred Scott v. Sandford
Significance: This case eliminated the Missouri Compromise, which would have divided the state into half-slave and half-free. It ended up weakening any anti-slavery movements. -
13th Amendment
Significance: This amendment abolished slavery, which is significant due to the ~14% of Black Americans in the United States today. It freed the enslaved, allowing them to live their lives freely, though faced with heavy discrimination and racism. -
14th Amendment
Significance: The 14th Amendment allowed people to be citizens if they were "born or naturalized in the United States" It connected to the freeing of slaves in the US, granting any former slaves citizenship. Though this amendment didn't fully fix racism and discrimination, it worked to fix the rights of black Americans. -
15th Amendment
Significance: This amendment allowed African American men the right to vote. Though not clarified, it stopped states from stopping voters due to their race, color, or servitude. It's significant due to it being a part of black Americans gaining their rights, but it still means women don't have the ability to vote - white or black. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Significance: Plessy v. Ferguson started the question of whether or not racial segregation was constitutional. It is known as the "separate but equal" case due to the upholding of a law allowing for separate railway cars as long as they were considered equal. Though Plessy was convicted, it started the question on constitutionality. -
19th Amendment
Significance: The 19th Amendment made it illegal for someone to be denied the right to vote based on their sex. It's especially significant as nowadays, women have the right to vote. -
Voter ID Laws
Significance: These laws required voters to present proof of who they were before being able actually to cast in their vote. Different states accepted different things, such as a driver's license. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Significance: In this case, the question was based on if racial segregation in public schools violates the 14th Amendment. This case continued to question the constitutionality of certain discrimination based on race. Although this case was positive to those supporting anti-segregation laws, white families still found a way to segregate from black families. The "doll test" showwed that kids are being trained to feel more negatively about a black doll (testing perceptions based on race). -
Affirmative Action
Significance: Gave access to jobs by requiring contractors to ensure that applicants are employed without regard to any possible discrimination. Overall, this started to fix employment rates, preventing discrimination. -
24th Amendment
Significance: This amendment stopped states from making payments essential for voting in elections that would impact the federal government. (poll tax). These taxes helped stop African Americans from voting, but the 24th amendment allowed fair voting. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Significance: This act is extremely significant as it prohibits any discrimination based on color, race, religion, sex, and origin. It is huge in civil rights and labor laws, especially for those who faced discrimination in this time period. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Significance: Though the 15th Amendment started to allow African American men to vote, literacy tests started becoming the norm when trying to vote. These tests would be extremely unfair and forced freed slaves to opt out of voting. This act outlawed these practices, getting rid of literacy tests as a qualification to vote. -
Equal Rights Amendment
Significance: This amendment was proposed to guarantee protection for women from discrimination based on sex. It passed both of the houses of Congress. It was not ratified. -
Title IX
Significance: Another component of sexual and gender equality, which is significant in today's world. It stated that exclusion from participation in any educational activity is no longer allowed. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Significance: Allan Bakke was denied admission in the University of California due to the university reserving spots for minorities. (Many see this as "reverse racism"). Bakke claimed that he was denied based on his race because he qualified for admission. -
Bowers v. Hardwick
Significance: This case ruled that the Constitution does not protect gay people from having consensual intercourse, even when private. States were allowed to prevent these practices. -
Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act
Significance: This act protects people with disabilities from discrimination based on their disability and states that disability rights ARE civil rights. -
Shelby County v. Holder
Significance: Voting rights! The Supreme Court invalidated part of the Voting Rights Act, stating that it is unconstitutional. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Significance: Gay marriage! The Supreme Court ruled that the 14th Amendment requires states to allow same-sex marriage and that all marriages out of state are considered a marriage. This case challenged the constitutionality of state bans on marriage because of gender. This case is especially significant as the gay population has increased with the ability to marry being allowed.