Civil Rights Flashcards
(22 cards)
Civil Rights
Protections against discrimination to ensure equal treatment under the law.
Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)
Supreme Court case that ruled African Americans were not citizens and had no standing to sue
Thirteenth Amendment (1865)
Abolished slavery in the United States.
Fourteenth Amendment (1868)
Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and guaranteed equal protection under the law.
Fifteenth Amendment (1870)
Prohibited voting restrictions based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Equal Protection Clause
Part of the Fourteenth Amendment, requiring states to provide equal protection of the laws to all people.
“Separate but Equal” Doctrine
Legal doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) that justified racial segregation as long as facilities were equal.
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine.
Brown v. Board of Education (1954 & 1955)
Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, ruling that racial segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause.
De Facto Segregation
Segregation that exists due to social, economic, or residential patterns rather than laws.
De Jure Segregation
Segregation that is legally enforced by laws or government policies.
Civil Rights Act (1964)
Banned discrimination in public places, employment, and federally funded programs based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Voting Rights Act (1965)
Eliminated literacy tests and other barriers that prevented African Americans from voting.
Poll Taxes
A fee required to vote, used to suppress Black voters until banned by the 24th Amendment.
Grandfather Clause
A law that allowed only those whose ancestors had voted before 1867 to vote, effectively excluding Black voters.
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
Proposed constitutional amendment aimed at guaranteeing equal rights regardless of sex (never ratified).
Comparable Worth
The idea that men and women should receive equal pay for jobs of equal value, even if they are different occupations.
Nineteenth Amendment (1920)
Granted women the right to vote.
Twenty-Fourth Amendment (1964)
Banned poll taxes in federal elections.
Twenty-Sixth Amendment (1971)
Lowered the voting age to 18.
Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
Prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and requires accessible public accommodations.
Affirmative Action
Policies that promote increased opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups, especially in education and employment.
