Voting Rights Protection & Supreme Court Cases Lesson

13th Amendment (1865)

Context: Abolished slavery and involuntary
servitude, except as punishment for a crime.

Impact: Officially ended slavery in the U.S.
after the Civil War.

Multiple Choice

The 13th Amendment (1865) abolished...

• Slavery

• Prohibition

• Voting Rights

• Segregation

Explanation Slide...

The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery in the United States, making it illegal to enslave or involuntarily servitude individuals, except as punishment for a crime.

14th Amendment (1868)

Context: Granted citizenship to all persons born or
naturalized in the U.S.

Impact: Guaranteed equal protection under the law
for all citizens, particularly for formerly enslaved
people.

Key Point: Overturned Dred Scott v. Sandford by
granting citizenship to formerly enslaved people.

Multiple Choice

What impact did the 14th Amendment (1868) have on U.S. citizens?

• It prevented citizenship rights to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.

• It restricted citizenship to white individuals.

• It granted citizenship rights to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.

• It had no significant impact on citizenship rights.

Explanation Slide...

The 14th Amendment granted citizenship rights to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., ensuring equal protection under the law and expanding civil rights, which was a significant advancement for all citizens.

Multiple Choice

What key point did the 14th Amendment (1868) address regarding Dred Scott v. Sandford?

• It overturned the decision by guaranteeing birthright citizenship and equal protection under the law.

• It affirmed the decision, denying citizenship to African Americans.

• It overturned the decision by guaranteeing non citizenship and equal protection under the law in most states of the U.S.

• It only abolished slavery without addressing citizenship.

Explanation Slide...

The 14th Amendment overturned the Dred Scott decision by establishing that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens, thus guaranteeing birthright citizenship and equal protection under the law for African Americans.

15th Amendment (1870)

Context: Gave African American men the right to
vote.

Impact: Prohibited voting restrictions based on
race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Challenges: Despite the amendment,
discriminatory practices such as literacy tests and
poll taxes continued to restrict voting.

Multiple Choice

The 15th Amendment granted African American men...

• The right to a fair trial.

• It gave them the right to free speech.

• It gave them the right to own property.

• The right to vote.

Explanation Slide...

The 15th Amendment specifically granted African American men the right to vote, prohibiting the denial of this right based on race or color. This was a significant step towards achieving voting equality.

Multiple Choice

Poll taxes are....

• charges for registering a business

• fees for obtaining a driver's license in the state you were born in

• forced fee payment for voting eligibility

• taxes imposed on property ownership

Explanation Slide...

Poll taxes are fees that individuals were required to pay in order to be eligible to vote. This practice was used to restrict voting rights, making 'forced fee payment for voting eligibility' the correct choice.

Multiple Choice

15th Amendment eliminated voting restrictions based on...

• Voting restrictions based on economic status

• Voting restrictions based on gender

• Race, color, or previous condition of servitude

• Voting restrictions based on age

Explanation Slide...

The 15th Amendment prohibits voting restrictions based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude, ensuring that these factors cannot be used to deny citizens the right to vote.

Multiple Choice

Despite the 15th Amendment voting restrictions on African American men continued due to...

• Poll taxes, literacy tests, and violence

• Lack of political interest

• Limited media exposure

• Complex voter registration processes

Explanation Slide...

Despite the 15th Amendment, African American men faced ongoing voting restrictions due to poll taxes, literacy tests, and violence, which effectively suppressed their voting rights and participation.

19th Amendment (1920)

Context: Granted women the right to vote, marking a
key victory in the women’s rights movement.

Impact: Helped ensure gender equality in voting.

Key Activists: Led by figures like Susan B. Anthony
and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Multiple Choice

How was the ratification of the 19th Amendment a victory for the Women's Suffrage Movement?

• It gave some women the right to work.

• It granted women the right to vote.

• It limited women's rights.

• It extended rights only to non-citizens.

Explanation Slide...

The ratification of the 19th Amendment was a significant victory for the Women's Suffrage Movement as it granted women the right to vote, ensuring their participation in the democratic process.

Multiple Choice

The key activist involved in the 19th Amendment...

• Susan B. Anthony

• Harriet Tubman

• Sojourner Truth

• Ida B. Wells

Explanation Slide...

Susan B. Anthony was a key figure in the women's suffrage movement and played a crucial role in advocating for the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Her efforts were instrumental in its passage.

24th Amendment (1964)

Context: Eliminated poll taxes that were used to
prevent African Americans and poor citizens from
voting.

Impact: Strengthened voting rights by removing
economic barriers to voting.

Multiple Choice

Impact of the 24th Amendment (1964) in the United States.

• It abolished the poll tax in federal elections.

• It increased voting privileges.

• It established literacy tests.

• It had no impact on voting rights.

Explanation Slide...

The 24th Amendment abolished the poll tax in federal elections, removing a financial barrier that disproportionately affected low-income voters, thus enhancing voting rights.

26th Amendment (1971)

Context: Lowered the voting age from 21 to
18.

Impact: Inspired by the Vietnam War, where
young people argued that if they were old
enough to be drafted, they should be able to
vote.

Multiple Choice

The main change brought by the 26th Amendment in 1971 was...

• It lowered the right to vote to citizens aged 18.

• It increased the voting age to 21.

• It granted voting rights to non-citizens.

• It made no changes to the voting age.

Explanation Slide...

The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, allowing younger citizens to participate in elections, which was a significant change in voting rights.

Multiple Choice

The 26th Amendment was inspired by which war?

• World War I

• World War II

• Vietnam War

• Korean War

Explanation Slide...

The 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age to 18, was largely influenced by the Vietnam War. Many argued that if young men were old enough to be drafted for war, they should also have the right to vote.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

● Context: Dred Scott, an enslaved man,

sued for his freedom after living in a free
state.

● Ruling: Enslaved people were not citizens

and had no rights under the Constitution.

● Impact: Strengthened slavery; Congress

couldn’t ban slavery in territories.

● Overturned by: 14th Amendment (1868)

– granted citizenship to all born in the U.S.

Multiple Choice

The Dred Scott v. Sandford case was overturned by the ________ Amendment in 1868, which granted citizenship to all born in the U.S.

• 14th

• 13th

• 15th

• 16th

Explanation Slide...

The Dred Scott v. Sandford case was effectively overturned by the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, which granted citizenship to all individuals born in the U.S., thus nullifying the ruling that denied Scott's citizenship.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

● Context: Homer Plessy, who was 1/8 Black,

challenged a Louisiana law requiring separate
railroad cars.

● Ruling: Upheld segregation under 'separate

but equal' doctrine.

● Impact: Allowed legal segregation, reinforcing

racial discrimination.

● Overturned by: Brown v. Board of Education

(1954) – ruled segregation unconstitutional.

Multiple Choice

How did the Plessy v. Ferguson impact the U.S?

• It promoted racial integration in schools and public facilities.

• It established a federal law against discrimination in public spaces.

• It made racial segregation illegal and established the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

• It legalized racial segregation and established the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Explanation Slide...

The Plessy v. Ferguson case legalized racial segregation in public facilities, establishing the 'separate but equal' doctrine, which upheld discriminatory practices for decades.

Multiple Choice

The ruling in the Plessy v. Ferguson case:

• Separate but equal is constitutional.

• Separate but equal is unconstitutional.

• Racial segregation is unacceptable.

• Racial equality was mandated.

Explanation Slide...

The ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson established that racial segregation was permissible under the doctrine of 'separate but equal,' thus affirming that separate facilities for blacks and whites were constitutional.

Multiple Choice

Select the impact that the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling had on racial discrimination.

• It upheld segregation laws that institutionalized racial discrimination

• It immediately ended racial discrimination

• It had no impact on racial discrimination

• It advanced equal rights for all races

Explanation Slide...

The Plessy v. Ferguson ruling upheld segregation laws, legitimizing racial discrimination by establishing the "separate but equal" doctrine, which allowed for continued racial segregation in public facilities.

Multiple Choice

Which case overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling?

• Brown v. Board of Education

• Roe v. Wade

• Marbury v. Madison

• Dred Scott v. Sandford

Explanation Slide...

The case that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson was Brown v. Board of Education. This landmark decision declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, effectively reversing the precedent set by Plessy.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

● Context: African American families

sued to end segregation in public
schools, arguing it harmed Black
students.

● Ruling: Segregation in public schools is

unconstitutional.

● Impact: Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson

and led to school desegregation.

● Key Idea: 'Separate is not equal.'

Multiple Choice

State the ruling in the Brown v. Board of Education case:

• Public school segregation is unconstitutional.

• Separate facilities are acceptable if equal.

• Segregation is a state issue.

• Integration should be voluntary.

Explanation Slide...

The ruling in Brown v. Board of Education declared that public school segregation is unconstitutional, overturning the previous doctrine of 'separate but equal' and emphasizing that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.

Multiple Choice

Brown v. Board of Education declared...

• It declared school segregation unconstitutional.

• It reinforced segregated schooling.

• It had no impact on segregation laws.

• It led to gradual reforms without immediate desegregation.

Explanation Slide...

Brown v. Board of Education declared school segregation unconstitutional, overturning the precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson and marking a significant step towards civil rights and equality in education.