Civil Rights

Question 1

Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)

Answer 1

The Supreme Court ruled that Dred Scott wasn’t an American citizen because he was a slave, and slaves were considered property.

Question 2

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Answer 2

The Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” didn’t violate the 14th amendment. They believed that segregation does not in itself constitute unlawful discrimination.

Question 3

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

Answer 3

The Supreme Court held that “separate but equal” facilities are inherently unequal and violate the protections of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Question 4

(Heart of) Atlanta Motel v. United States (1964)

Answer 4

The Supreme Court held that the U.S. Congress could use the power granted to it by the Constitution’s Commerce Clause to force private businesses to abide by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.