The Most Influential US Court Cases: Civil Rights Cases

The Most Influential US Court Cases: Civil Rights Cases

THE CASES Dred Scott v. Sanford 1857 Plessy v. Ferguson 1896 Powell v. Alabama 1932 (Scottsboro) Korematsu v United States 1944 Brown v Board of Education 1954

Dred Scott v. Sanford 1857

Dred Scott v. Sanford: The Question Did the Black inhabitants of the United States have the right of citizenship, and was the Missouri Compromise a legal means of attempting to extend freedom of the black inhabitants of those territories north

Dred Scott v. Sanford: The Background Dred Scott and his wife Harriet were slaves of Dr. John Emerson, an army doctor who was stationed in Minnesota Dred and Harriet were married with the consent of Emerson Emerson died, and Dred attempted to purchase their freedom and were refused

Dred Scott v. Sanford: The Dilemma The Dred Scott case had two arguments, the first was on the question of freedom, the second argument was that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional The government was caught in a difficult position because it had to rule in both free north and slave south

Dred Scott v. Sanford: The Background The first jury found in favor of the Scotts, but on appeal the Missouri Supreme Court ruled on the widow Emerson The state Supreme Court argued that 2 days in a free state does not entitle freedom

Dred Scott v. Sanford: The Decision The qualifications of citizenship fell under the individual state. At this time the question of citizenship based on ancestry did not turn out well for slaves Chief Justice Taney stated there was no authority within the Constitution to draw lines like the Missouri Compromise, therefore Congress can not determine freedom

Dred Scott v. Sanford: The Significance Dred Scott v. Sanford protected slavery judicially The 14 th Amendment adopted in 1868 provided citizenship for newly freed slaves However, Black Codes/Jim Crow provided the south the ability to fight the 14 th Amendment

Korematsu v. United States 1944

Korematsu v. United States: The Question Can the dangers of war justify excluding people from their homes during wartime on the basis or race?

Korematsu v. United States: The Background After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 bringing the United States into WW II, FDR issued executive order No. 9066 9066 was designed to prevent espionage and sabotage of American Defense installations By March of 1942 this orders gave the army the right to evacuate and resettlement of Japanese

Korematsu v. United States: The Background Fred Korematsu was an American citizen living in California his entire life. Mr. Korematsu volunteered for military service Mr. Korematsu was ordered to leave his home in June of 1942. He refused and was arrested He was then taken to an internment camp in Topaz, Utah

Korematsu v. United States: The Dilemma Mr. Korematsu argued that this order was unconstitutional because it violated his rights based on race The United States argued that he was convicted for refusing to leave an area protected by the exclusion order The United States argued that the order justified because of the threat of a Japanese invasion, and it would be difficult to separate Japanese loyalty compared to United States loyalty

Korematsu v. United States: The Decision The Supreme Court upheld the order. The Supreme Court stated Japanese Americans could be singled out because it was it was unable to identify disloyal members within the United States The Court also stated the nature of a military order is to permit the government to wage war successfully

Korematsu v. United States: The Significance Since the Korematsu decision in 1944, other racial minorities have been able to argue the case with more success

Brown v. Board of Education 1954

Brown v. Board: The Question Did the practice of segregating schools deprive African-American children of equal protection under the law, guaranteed to all Americans regardless of race under the 14 th Amendment?

Brown v. Board: The Background The decision of Plessy v. Ferguson protecting segregation through separate but equal gave the South the ability to strengthen Jim Crow laws By 1950 the NAACP decided it needed to develop cases to force the Supreme Court to decide on segregated schools Brown v. Board is actually 5 cases

Brown v. Board: The Cases Briggs v. Elliot (South Carolina) Evidence from social scientists provided evidence that segregation reduced self-esteem Equal education facilities were demanded

Brown v. Board: The Cases Brown v. Board of Education (Kansas) Segregation has a tendency to retard the educational and mental development African-American children are being deprived benefits

Brown v. Board: The Cases Gebhart v. Belton (Delaware) Segregation in schools create inequality and violate Constitutional rights

Brown v. Board: The Cases Davis v. Prince Edward County (Virginia) Should segregation be eliminated even if rapid and substantial efforts are being made to improve the quality of schools

Brown v. Board: The Cases Bolling v. Sharp (District of Columbia) Plaintiffs argued that the court was avoiding and ignoring the issue of segregation

Brown v. Board: The Dilemma The NAACP argued that the end of segregation must be implemented because of the psychological and sociological evidence demonstrating that African-American children were stigmatized as being inferior The defendants argued that segregation was in the best interests of the children as long as facilities were equal

Brown v. Board: The Decision Chief Justice Earl Warren urged for a unanimous decision Warren stated in his opinion that the implementation of non-segregation needs to be done with deliberate speed

Brown v. Board: The Significance Brown v. Board ended Separate but Equal, and Jim Crow Brown v. Board provided the Civil Rights movement legal standing and federal support Events involving the Bus Boycott in Alabama and the crossing of lines in places of education were now supported by the National Guard and US Army

Powell v. Alabama 1932

Powell v. Alabama: The Question Does the denial of counsel in a capital case where the defendant is illiterate or otherwise incapable of making his own case violate the due process of the 14 th Amendment

Powell v. Alabama: The Background Eight black youths were involved in a fight with white youths on a moving train. When the train cars were emptied, two white women emerged from the group claiming rape The eight men/boys were quickly indicted and arraigned in the morning. They met their lawyer moments before the trial

Powell v. Alabama: The Background The eight men/boys were quickly indicted and arraigned in the morning. They met their lawyer moments before the trial The defendants were convicted and the jury imposed the death penalty This case is also known as the Scottsboro Boys Case

Powell v. Alabama: The Dilemma Ozie Powell the lawyer argued that the Scottsboro boys were denied the right to counsel and therefore due process of the law. Powell also argued that their jury trial did not provide equal protection because race was systematically excluded Alabama argued their trials were fair and also their jury selection was equal

Powell v. Alabama: The Decision Chief Justice Sutherland stated that even though counsel was provided as required by due process, the accused has the right to prepare a defense with sufficient time

Powell v. Alabama: The Significance The court first recognized that it is a constitutional right for pretrial assistance The defendants were convicted at a second trial, but their convictions were overturned later.

Plessy v. Ferguson 1896

Plessy v. Ferguson: The Question Do the states have the right to require separate accommodations in interstate commerce based on race?

Plessy v. Ferguson: The Background After the Civil War slavery was abolished and equal rights were established through the 14 th, 15 th, and 16 th Amendments The South created laws imposing racial segregation. These laws were referred as Jim Crow

Plessy v. Ferguson: The Background Homer Plessy bought a 1 st class ticket from New Orleans to Covington by train Plessy entered a car for white passengers and sat in a vacant seat. He was arrested for violating Jim Crow Plessy petitioned the Louisiana Supreme Court before punishment could be handed down by Judge John Ferguson

Plessy v. Ferguson: The Dilemma Plessy argued that separate but equal was in theory equal and impartial, however in reality it distinguished one race to be superior to another Louisiana argued that the state legislature was at liberty to act to defend customs and traditions, thus preserving public peace

Plessy v. Ferguson: The Decision The Supreme Court by an 8 to 1 vote ruled that laws permitting and requiring separation did not imply inferiority and superiority of race

Plessy v. Ferguson: The Significance The term Separate but equal was a common term to justify any law to separate race The verdict gave the South the ability to aggressively pass more Jim Crow laws This intensified segregation and violated the Civil Rights of African Americans for the next 60 years

Chief Justices of the United States John Jay (1789-1795) John Rutledge (1795-1795 Oliver Ellsworth (1796-1800) John Marshall (1801-1835) Roger B. Taney (1835-1864)

Chief Justices of the United States Salmon Chase (1864-1873) Morrison Waite (1874-1888) Melville Fuller (1888-1910) Edward White (1910-1921) William Taft (1921-1930)

Chief Justices of the United States Charles Hughes (1930-1941) Harlan Stone (1941-1946) Fred Vinson (1946-1953) Earl Warren (1954-1969) Warren Burger (1969-1986)

Chief Justices of the United States William Rehnquist (1986-2005) John Roberts (2005-Present)