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Dred Scott v. Sandford
The Supreme Court ruled that slaves did not count as American citizens. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was passed at the end of the Civil War. It abolished slavery in the US. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment establishes the criteria for American citizenship. It also gives equal protections of civil rights under due process of law. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment protects voting rights of African Americans. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
The decision of Plessy v. Ferguson established the "separate but equal" rule for legal segregation. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to ban discrimination based on sex. It has not been implemented. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that segregation in public schools violated the 14th Amendment -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, or national origin. This specifically applies to labor practices (hiring, promotions, firing, etc) -
24th Amendment
Many Southern States implemented poll taxes as a way to keep African Americans from voting. The 24th Amendment abolished the practice of poll taxes. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed to protect African American voters. The law abolished practices like literacy tests which were racially motivated ways to deny citizens the right to vote. -
Title IX
Title IX bans discrimination based on sex in public schools, including colleges/universities. It specifically applies in areas like admissions and financial aid. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Bakke was not admitted to University of California because there were spots held for racial minorities (Bakke was white). The Supreme Court ruled that racial quotas violated the 14th Amendment -
Bowers v. Hardwick
The state of Georgia had outlawed homosexual sodomy (sexual activity). Michael Hardwick was arrested under this law, and he challenged its constitutionality. However, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution did not protect sodomy, and Georgia's law was upheld. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The ADA protects the rights of disabled Americans. (disability = "physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities") This protection applies to employment, transportation, communications, public accomodations, and access to government assistance. -
Voter ID Laws
Voter ID laws refers to any law that requests or requires voters to show identification when voting. These laws are intended to reduce voter fraud. -
Shelby County v. Holder
Alabama's Shelby county believed that sections 5 and 4b of the Voting Rights Act (1965) were unconstitutional. Section 5 banned eligible districts from changing their voting laws without permission. Section 4b explained that authorization would be gained through the Attorney General or a panel of 3 judges in DC. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Shelby County, saying that those sections violated the 14th Amendment. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Homosexual couples across multiple states argued that bans of same-sex marriage was a violation of their 14th Amendment rights. The Supreme Court ruled that the Due Process Clause granted the same protections of heterosexual marriage to homosexual marriage. SCOTUS also stated that denying same-sex marriage would be a violation of the Equal Protection Clause.