Civil rights court cases Flashcards
1
Q
What was a key supreme court case during the reconstruction period?
A
- United States v Cruikshank 1876
- ruled that the federal government couldn’t prosecute individuals for civil rights violations
- weakened the enforcement acts and limited federal protection of AA
2
Q
What were two important court cases during the gilded age?
A
- civil rights cases 1883
- Plessy v Ferguson 1896
3
Q
What was the Civil Rights Cases?
A
- 1883
- Declared the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional
- ruled that the 14th amendment did not apply to private discrimination
- legalised segregation in private businesses
4
Q
What was Plessy v Ferguson and what was the impact?
A
- 1896
- Legalised segregation with the ‘separate but equal’ doctrine
- major setback for AA, upheld racial segregation in the South
5
Q
when was Missouri ex rel. Gaines v Canada and what was the impact?
A
- 1938
- Required states to provide equal in-state education for Black students if they provided it for white students
- Early victory for the NAACP
6
Q
When was Brown v Board of Education and what was the impact?
A
- 1954
- ruled that segregation in public schools was unequal
- overturned Plessy v Ferguson
7
Q
When was Brown II and what was the impact?
A
- 1955
- ordered desegregation of schools with ‘all deliberate speed’
- strengthened Brown v Board
- allowed delays due to vague wording
8
Q
When was Cooper v Aaron and what was the impact?
A
- 1958
- reaffirmed that states could not resist desegregation rulings
- targeted resistance in Arkansas (Little Rock)
9
Q
When was Swann v Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education and what was the impact?
A
- 1971
- Allowed use of busing to enforce desegregation in schools
10
Q
when was Griggs v Duke Power Company and what was the impact?
A
- strengthened affirmative action
- ruled that employment tests must be directly related to the job
- could not discriminate unintentionally
11
Q
Which supreme court case most opposed African American civil rights?
A
- Plessy v Ferguson 1896
- legalised ‘separate but equal’ segregation
- upheld Jim Crow Laws
12
Q
What Supreme court case most helped African American civil rights?
A
- Brown v Board of education 1954
- ended legal segregation in education
