Civil Rights Flashcards
What are civil rights?
Protections introduced by the government to ensure that a group of citizens are not discriminated against
What are civil liberties?
The freedoms enjoyed by individual Americans, e.g. freedom of speech
What amendment do many civil rights originate from?
The ‘equal protection’ clause of the Fourteenth Amendment (1865)
Example of a law passed by Congress which created civil rights
The Voting Rights Act 1965 outlawed discrimination that prevented African-Americans from voting
What are inalienable rights?
Rights that cannot be taken away
What are entrenched rights?
Rights explicitly mentioned in the constitution, that can only be removed through an amendment
What is the Third Amendment?
Right not to have military troops quartered in private homes
(shows how the Bill of Rights is less relevant now)
What year was the Bill of Rights?
1791
What was the 24th amendment?
Gave Americans the right to vote without requiring them to pay tax. Intended to give African-Americans greater voting powers.
What was the Equal Rights Amendment?
A proposed amendment to the constitution which was never ratified which would’ve entrenched the rights of women and made it illegal to discriminate against on the basis of sex
Why did the Equal Rights Amendment fail?
It was only ratified by 35 out of the necessary 38 states
What pressure group campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment?
National Organisation for Women (NOW)
What are landmark rulings?
A judgement by the Supreme Court which fundamentally changes the way the constitution is interpreted
Brown v Topeka 1954
Students given the right not to be segregated by race
Griswold v Connecticut 1965
Right to use contraceptives within marriage
Miranda v Arizona 1966
Right for people to be informed of their 5th amendment rights before being questioned by the police
Loving v Virginia 1967
Laws banning interracial marriage declared unconstitutional
Lawrence v Texas 2003
Right to engage in consensual private homosexual activity