Civil Rights and Supreme Court Cases

The video discusses the impact of the Reconstruction Amendments post-Civil War, highlighting the challenges African Americans faced due to discriminatory laws like the Jim Crow laws. It focuses on the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case, where Homer Plessy challenged Louisiana's separate car law. The Supreme Court ruled against Plessy, establishing the 'separate but equal' doctrine. Justice Harlan's dissent emphasized equality under the law. The precedent was overturned in 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education, and further civil rights advancements followed.

What were some of the methods used to prevent African Americans from voting during the Jim Crow era?

• Voting machines and electronic ballots

• Grandfather clauses, poll taxes, and literacy tests

• Online registration and mail-in ballots

• Open primaries and caucuses

What was the main objective of the Citizens' Committee formed by Homer Plessy?

• To promote the separate car law

• To test the constitutionality of the separate car law

• To organize a railway strike

• To support the Jim Crow laws

Why was Homer Plessy arrested?

• For refusing to pay a train fare

• For sitting in a whites-only car

• For protesting outside the courthouse

• For organizing a public demonstration

What was the Supreme Court's ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson?

• Plessy was acquitted of all charges

• The separate car law was constitutional

• The separate car law was unconstitutional

• The case was dismissed without a ruling

Who was the lone dissenter in the Plessy v. Ferguson case?

• Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes

• Justice John Marshall Harlan

• Justice Louis Brandeis

• Justice Henry Billings Brown

What was Justice Harlan's view on the Constitution in his dissent?

• The Constitution is outdated and needs revision

• The Constitution allows for separate but equal facilities

• The Constitution is colorblind and supports equality

• The Constitution supports racial segregation

Which case overturned the precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson?

• Dred Scott v. Sandford

• Miranda v. Arizona

• Brown v. Board of Education

• Roe v. Wade

What did the Brown v. Board of Education decision declare about segregation?

• Segregation is only allowed in private institutions

• Segregation is a state's right

• Segregation is inherently unequal and unconstitutional

• Segregation is acceptable in public schools

What did the 1964 Civil Rights Act achieve?

• It only applied to federal institutions

• It reinforced the separate but equal doctrine

• It allowed states to decide on segregation

• It banned segregation in all public accommodations

What was erected in 2009 to honor Homer Plessy?

• A museum dedicated to his life

• A historical marker at the site of his arrest

• A scholarship fund in his name

• A statue in Washington, D.C.