Untitled Flashcard Set
Bill of Rights – The first 10 amendments; they protect freedoms like speech, religion, and fair trials.
Libel and Slander – Saying or writing lies that hurt someone’s reputation; not protected by free speech.
14th Amendment – Says everyone has equal protection under the law and must be treated fairly.
Key Amendments
13th Amendment – Ended slavery.
15th Amendment – Gave Black men the right to vote.
19th Amendment – Gave women the right to vote.
24th Amendment – Stopped poll taxes (people don’t have to pay to vote).
Civil Rights Laws
Civil Rights Act of 1964 – Ended segregation and banned discrimination in public places and jobs.
Voting Rights Act of 1965 – Protected voting rights, banned unfair tests, and let the government check elections in some states.
Supreme Court Cases
Miranda v. Arizona – Police must tell people their rights before questioning (like the right to remain silent).
Gideon v. Wainwright – Everyone has the right to a lawyer, even if they can’t pay.
Scott v. Sandford – Said enslaved people were property, not citizens (bad decision before the Civil War).
Plessy v. Ferguson – Said segregation was okay if things were “separate but equal.”
Brown v. Board of Education – Said segregation in schools is not okay; ended “separate but equal.”
History
Jim Crow Laws – Southern laws that forced segregation of Black and white people.