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Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
This was the treat that ended the war between the United States and Mexico. It gave the States almost half of what used to be Mexico. It included the U.S. Southwest, parts of Utah, California, Nevada, and Wyoming. It gave citizenship to the peoples who lived in these areas (which were mostly Mexicans and Native peoples). It also allowed the continuation of the Spanish language in all spaces. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
This was one of the Court decisions that upheld the “separate but equal” mindset. At this time, racial segregation was commonplace, but all races were still supposed to be treated equally. However, Homer Plessy was a passenger on a train that was reserved for white people; he had refused to move trains and argued that his constitutional rights were being violated. The Supreme Court ruled that the law wasn't unconstitutional and they made stricter separate public spaces. -
Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka
This was one of the Court decisions that rules that racial segregation withing schools was unconstitutional. This ruling helped proved that the "separate but equal" mindset was actually, very unequal. This case was a combination of 5 cases related to school segregation. Brown v. Board is one of the "highlights" of the civil rights movement. It caused several violent integrations, one of the most famous being with Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas with the Little Rock Nine n 1957. -
Title IX
This was one of the Court decisions that demanded non-discrimination based on gender in educational programs that receives federal funding. This applies to all educational settings, regardless of it being public or private, that receives federal funding. It helped provide equal opportunities for athletes and better protected sexual harassment and discrimination cases. These cases aren't related to women (which usually get more attention) but it applies to all genders. -
Milliken v. Bradley
This was one of the Court decisions that ruled that schools can't be desegregated across school lines. This was a legal segregation which meant if students of colour wanted to go to schools in white suburban districts, they couldn't unless they lived in the district's area. The Court stated that it wasn't a violation of Brown v. Board and thus Detroit, Michigan was free to stay segregated. The Court also expressed that local control over how schools were governed was very important. -
Goss v. Lopez
This was one of the Court decisions that ensured students had the right to due process. Due process means fair treatment through the judicial system and respects all legal rights of a person. Nine students in Ohio received suspensions without due process. The Court ruled that as long as a state is providing education for a citizen, the school can't remove them without a fair trial. -
Education of all Handicapped Children Act
This was one of the Court decisions that ensured that public schools accepted the funding for equal opportunities for handicapped students. This made it possible for students to be evaluated to have a custom education plan. It mandatory for the administration of schools to understand the ways in which parents could advocate for their children's education. It also gave disabled students access at school that allowed them to have opportunities to be away from neurotypical students. -
Plyler v. Doe
This was one of the Court decisions that revised Texas' laws to allow immigrant children education. The case was filed for a group of young people from South America who lived in Texas who couldn't prove they were "legally admitted" to the country. The Court ruled that the students rights were being violated because thier right to education was protected under the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court explained that "education has a fundamental role in maintaining the fabric of our society".
