Roots of Suffrage 1800-1890
5.1 Trace the efforts from 1800 to 1890 of African Americans and women to win the vote, p. 129.
When the Framers tried to compromise on the issue of slavery, they only postponed dealing with a volatile question that eventually would rip the nation apart. Ultimately, the Civil War brought an end to slavery. Among its results were the triumph of the abolitionist position and the adoption of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments. During this period, women also sought expanded rights, especially the right to vote, to no avail. The Push for Equality, 1890-1954
5.2 Outline developments in African Americans' and women's push for equality from 1890 to 1954, p. 135.
Although the Civil War Amendments became part of the Constitution, the Supreme Court limited their application. As legislatures throughout the South passed Jim Crow laws, the NAACP was founded in the early 1900s to press for equal rights for African Americans. Woman's groups also were active during this period, successfully lobbying for passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, which ensured them the right to vote. Groups such a the National Consumers League (NCL) began to view litigation as a means to an end and went to court to argue for the constitutionality of legislation protecting women workers. The Civil Rights Movement
5.3 Analyze the civil rights movement and the effects of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, p. 141.
In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that racially segregated state school systems were unconstitutional. This victory empowered African Americans as they sought an end to other forms of pervasive discrimination. Bus boycotts, sit-ins, freedom rides, pressure for voting rights enforcement, and massive nonviolent demonstrations became common tactics. These efforts culminated in passage of the Civil Rights Act 0f 1964, which gave African Americans another weapon in their legal arsenal. |
The Women's Rights Movement
5.4 Assess statutory and constitutional remedies for discrimination pursued and achieved by the women's rights movements, p. 147.
After passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a new women's rights movement arose. Several women's groups were created. Some sought a constitutional amendment (the Equal Rights Amendment) as a remedy for discrimination; it would elevate the standard of review for sex-based claims. In general, strict scrutiny, the most stringent standard, is applied to race-based claims and cases involving fundamental freedoms. The Court developed an intermediate standard of review to assess the constitutionality of sex discrimination claims. All other claims are subject to the rational basis test. Other Groups Mobilize for Rights
5.5 Describe how other groups have mobilized in pursuit of their own civil rights, p. 153.
Building on the successes of African Americans and women, other groups, including Hispanics, American Indians, Asian and Pacific Island Americans, gays and lesbians, and those with disabilities, organized to litigate for expanded civil rights and to lobby for anti-discrimination laws. Toward Reform: Civil Rights and Affirmative Action
5.6 Evaluate the ongoing debate concerning civil rights and affirmative action, p. 163.
All of the groups discussed in this chapter have yet to reach full equality. Affirmative action, a policy designed to remedy education and employment, continues to generate controversy. |