Section 9 Study Guide

13th Amendment

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery in the United States and was the first of three Reconstruction Amendments adopted after the American Civil War.

14th Amendment

Granted state and federal citizenship for all persons regardless of race, reaffirmed privileges and immunities, due process of law, and equal protection of the laws.

15th Amendment

Granted African American men the right to vote, prohibiting denial based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Black Codes

Laws passed by Democrat-controlled Southern states post-Civil War, advocating extremist positions like white supremacy and anti-immigration.

Civil Rights Bill of 1866

First U.S. federal law defining citizenship and affirming equal protection under the law, aimed at protecting civil rights of African-Americans post-Civil War.

Slaughterhouse Cases

U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1873 limiting a citizen's privileges and immunities under the Fourteenth Amendment to those specified in the Constitution.

Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad v. Chicago

Case marking the first time a provision of the Bill of Rights was made binding on state governments via the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Plessy v. Ferguson and the separate but equal doctrine

Established the constitutionality of laws mandating separate but equal public accommodations for African Americans and whites.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws from post-Reconstruction to mid-1950s denying African Americans basic rights like voting, social, and economic equality.

Brown v. Board of Education I

Supreme Court ruling declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Brown v. Board of Education II

Decreed the dismantling of separate school systems for Black and white students with 'all deliberate speed,' opening ways for integration strategies.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Known for contributions to the American civil rights movement, notably the 'I Have a Dream' speech advocating against segregation and racism.

Dr. W.E.B. DuBois

Foremost Black intellectual, first Black American to earn a PhD from Harvard, and NAACP's director of publicity and research.

A. Philip Randolph

Influential trade unionist and civil-rights leader advocating for justice and equality for African Americans.

James Farmer

Co-founder of the Congress of Racial Equality, promoting erasing the color line through nonviolent action.

Fannie Lou Hamer

African American civil rights activist working to desegregate the Mississippi Democratic Party.

Civil Rights Act of 1957

Authorized prosecution for violations of the right to vote for U.S. citizens.

Civil Rights Act of 1960

Effort to stop violence against African American voters.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Provided protections for voting, against discrimination in public facilities, and equal employment opportunities.

24th Amendment

Abolished poll taxes in federal elections.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Banned literacy tests and allowed federal government control over voting locations.

Harper v. Virginia (1966)

Declared poll taxes unconstitutional in state elections.

Civil Rights Act of 1968

Made housing discrimination unconstitutional as an addendum to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Discrimination

Treating people differently based on race, religion, gender, etc.

Affirmative Action

Granting preferential status to underrepresented groups in admissions.

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

Ruled that university admission based solely on race is unconstitutional.

United Steelworkers of America v. Weber (1979)

Upheld considering race for jobs and training positions.

Dayton Board of Education v. Brinkman (1979)

Ruled in favor of the Board of Education in a desegregation case.

The Civil Rights and Women's Equity in Employment Act (1991)

Granted equal rights in employment for both men and women.

Grutter v. Bollinger (2001) and Gratz v. Bollinger (2001)

Supreme Court cases on affirmative action, with Grutter upholding law school policies and Gratz ruling in favor of plaintiff due to lack of specificity.

Title IX

Prohibits gender discrimination in publicly funded education, ensuring equality in sports teams to a certain degree.

19th Amendment

Granted women the right to vote.

The Rational Basis Test

Determines if there is a rational basis for treating people differently.

The Strict Scrutiny Test

Determines if a government action or law serves a higher purpose than the discrimination it employs.

The Substantial Relationship Test

Used for gender discrimination cases, requiring a close relationship between government action and its purpose.