Key Supreme Court Cases and Civil Rights Legislation (1925-2018)

Buck v. Bell (1927)

SCOTUS upheld sterilization of the "unfit"; legalized eugenics programs.

Skinner v. Oklahoma (1942)

Struck down sterilization of criminals; procreation = fundamental right.

Gitlow v. New York (1925)

Began selective incorporation; applied free speech protections to states.

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Established exclusionary rule; illegal evidence can't be used in court.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Police must inform suspects of rights ("Miranda rights").

Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)

Recognized implied right to privacy; struck down ban on contraceptives.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Extended privacy rights to abortion (overturned in 2022).

Lawrence v. Texas (2003)

Struck down sodomy laws; expanded LGBTQ privacy rights.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Overturned Plessy; ruled segregation in schools unconstitutional.

Loving v. Virginia (1967)

Struck down state bans on interracial marriage.

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

Legalized same-sex marriage under Equal Protection Clause.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Banned segregation and discrimination in public accommodations and employment.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Ended literacy tests, expanded federal oversight of elections.

Fair Housing Act of 1968

Prohibited housing discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin.