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Kencie Carestil
Court ruled that the separate educational facilities were not equal
In the Midwest town of Topeka, Kansas, a little girl named Linda Brown had to
ride the bus five miles to school each day, although a public school was located
only four blocks from her house. The school was not full and the little girl met all
of the requirements to attend, all but one, that is. Linda Brown was black. And
blacks were not allowed to go to white children's schools.
Outcome
Unanimous decision declaring "separate but equal" unconstitutional.
Chief Justice Warren delivered the court's opinion, stating that "segregated
schools are not equal and cannot be made equal, and hence they are deprived of
the equal protection of the laws." This ruling in favor of integration was one of the
most significant strides America has taken in favor of civil liberties.
Roe v. Wade
In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court made what is
arguably its most controversial ruling to date.
Prior to that time, abortion was an illegal
practice in most states, including Texas. In
1970, a young unmarried Texas woman was
faced with an unwanted pregnancy.
Background
On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in the case of Roe v.
Wade, which recognized that the constitutional right to privacy extends to a womans right to make her
own personal medical decisions including the decision to have an abortion without interference from
politicians.
Appellant alleged that she was unmarried and pregnant, and that she was unable to receive a legal
abortion by a licensed physician because her life was not threatened by the continuation of her pregnancy
and that she was unable to afford to travel to another jurisdiction to obtain a legal abortion.
Outcome
The Supreme Court ruled that:
a woman's decision to continue or end a pregnancy is within her right to privacy based on the
9th
Amendment, which says that rights not listed elsewhere belong to the people
states could regulate abortions that would occur in the later stages of pregnancy
The ruling has incited interest groups to action and forced political candidates to take a stand on the
issue. An emotional debate still rages presently, with some Americans saying that the Roe ruling
violated the rights of the unborn. The U.S. Supreme Court has reaffirmed its ruling in cases since.
15th Amendment
The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits each government in the United
States from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's race, color, or previous condition of
servitude.
Resource
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