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Civil Rights

The rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.

Thirteenth Amendment

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution that abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.

Fourteenth Amendment

An amendment that grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and ensures equal protection under the law.

Equal Protection Clause

A clause in the Fourteenth Amendment that requires states to provide equal protection under the law to all persons.

Fifteenth Amendment

An amendment that prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on 'race, color, or previous condition of servitude.'

Separate but Equal

A legal doctrine that justified and permitted racial segregation as long as the separate facilities were considered equal.

Legal Segregation

The separation of groups based on legal statutes, often enforced by law.

De Jure Segregation

Segregation that is enforced by law.

De Facto Segregation

Segregation that occurs in practice but not enforced by law.

Affirmative Action

Policies that take factors such as race, color, religion, sex, or national origin into account to benefit an underrepresented group in areas like education and employment.

Social Movement

A collective effort by a large group of people to bring about social or political change.

Civil Disobedience

The active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, often in a nonviolent manner.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

A landmark piece of legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

A significant piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.

Nineteenth Amendment

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution that granted women the right to vote.

Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972

A federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or education program that receives federal funding.

Civil liberties

Fundamental rights and freedoms protected from infringement by the government, such as freedom of speech and the right to privacy.

Civil rights

The rights of individuals to receive equal treatment under the law, particularly in relation to discrimination.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, which guarantee essential rights and civil liberties.

Due process clause

A clause in the 14th Amendment that prohibits the government from depriving individuals of life, liberty, or property without fair legal proceedings.

Selective incorporation

The legal doctrine that ensures that certain protections in the Bill of Rights are applied to the states through the 14th Amendment.

Establishment clause

A clause in the First Amendment that prohibits the government from establishing an official religion or unduly favoring one religion over another.

Free exercise clause

A clause in the First Amendment that protects individuals' rights to practice their religion freely, without government interference.

Freedom of expression

The right to express one's thoughts and opinions freely through speech, writing, and other forms of communication.

Clear and present danger test

A legal standard used to determine when speech can be limited if it poses a significant risk of inciting harm or illegal actions.

Prior restraint

Government action that prohibits speech or other expression before it can take place, generally considered unconstitutional.

Symbolic speech

Nonverbal communication that conveys a message or idea, such as protests or wearing armbands.

Libel

A written false statement that damages a person's reputation.

Slander

An oral false statement that damages a person's reputation.

Obscenity and pornography

Material that is considered offensive or inappropriate, with legal definitions varying by jurisdiction.

Ex post facto laws

Laws that make an act illegal retroactively, prohibited by the Constitution.

Bill of attainder

Legislation that declares a person or group guilty of a crime without a trial, prohibited by the Constitution.

Writ of habeas corpus

A legal order requiring that a person detained be brought before a court to determine the legality of their detention.

Procedural due process

The legal requirement that the state must respect all legal rights owed to a person, ensuring fair procedures.

Warrant

A legal document authorizing law enforcement to conduct a search, seizure, or arrest.

Probable cause

The reasonable belief that a person has committed a crime, necessary for obtaining a warrant.

Exclusionary rule

A legal principle that prohibits the use of evidence obtained in violation of a person's constitutional rights.

Grand jury

A group of citizens convened to determine whether there is enough evidence to charge someone with a crime.

Double jeopardy

The legal principle that prohibits an individual from being tried twice for the same offense.

Miranda rights

The rights read to an arrested individual, informing them of their right to remain silent and to have an attorney.

Bail

A sum of money or property pledged to the court to secure the release of a defendant from custody, pending trial.