⚖️

Supreme Court Landmark Cases

81 cards · 🇺🇸 English

The US Supreme Court cases that shaped civil rights, equal protection and civil liberties.

lawsupreme-courtus

Study all 81 cards for free

Flashcards, quizzes, pixel-art games and a daily review that remembers for you.

Study this deck free

Try the first 10 cards

1 / 10

Question

Which 1857 case ruled that African Americans could not be U.S. citizens?

Knew itLearning

Tap the card for the answer · swipe right if you knew it, left if not

Already have an account? Sign in

Cards

1Which 1857 case ruled that African Americans could not be U.S. citizens?
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) - Ruled that people of African descent could not be citizens and slavery could not be prohibited in U.S. territories. Later voided by 13th and 14th Amendments.
2Which 1880 case first reversed a state criminal conviction based on jury racial exclusion?
Strauder v. West Virginia (1880) - Ruled that excluding individuals from juries solely because of race violates the Equal Protection Clause.
3Which 1886 case ruled that racially discriminatory application of a neutral statute violates Equal Protection?
Yick Wo v. Hopkins (1886) - Established that racially discriminatory application of a racially neutral statute violates the Equal Protection Clause.
4Which 1896 case established the 'separate but equal' doctrine?
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) - Upheld segregated facilities under the 'separate but equal' doctrine. De facto overruled by Brown v. Board of Education (1954).
5Which 1938 case required states to provide in-state educational opportunities for Black students?
Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada (1938) - States with segregated education systems cannot satisfy 'separate but equal' by only paying for out-of-state education.
6Which 1944 case declared white primaries unconstitutional?
Smith v. Allwright (1944) - Ruled that primary elections must be open to voters of all races, striking down the white primary.
7Which 1944 case established the duty of fair representation for labor unions?
Steele v. Louisville & Nashville Railway Co. (1944) - Imposed duty of fair representation on labor unions to represent all bargaining unit members equally without regard to race.
8Which 1944 case upheld Japanese-American internment and introduced strict scrutiny?
Korematsu v. United States (1944) - Upheld Executive Order 9066 allowing internment of Japanese Americans. Featured first application of strict scrutiny to racial discrimination. Overruled by Trump v. Hawaii (2018).
9Which 1946 case struck down segregation on interstate buses?
Morgan v. Virginia (1946) - Ruled that a Virginia law enforcing segregation on interstate buses is unconstitutional.
10Which 1948 case prohibited courts from enforcing racial covenants on real estate?
Shelley v. Kraemer (1948) - Courts may not enforce racial covenants on real estate.
11Which 1950 cases struck down segregation in law schools and graduate programs?
Sweatt v. Painter and McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents (1950) - Ruled that segregation in higher education violates Equal Protection, laying groundwork for Brown v. Board.
12Which 1954 case was the first to recognize Equal Protection applies to Hispanic Americans?
Hernandez v. Texas (1954) - Extended Equal Protection Clause to cover any racial, national, and ethnic groups against whom discrimination can be proved.
13Which landmark 1954 case declared school segregation unconstitutional?
Brown v. Board of Education (1954) - Ruled segregated schools unconstitutional under Equal Protection Clause, finding 'separate but equal has no place in public education.'
14Which 1954 case applied Brown v. Board to District of Columbia schools?
Bolling v. Sharpe (1954) - Ruled that segregated schools in D.C. violate Equal Protection as incorporated through the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment.
15Which 1956 case ruled bus segregation unconstitutional?
Browder v. Gayle (1956) - Declared bus segregation unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause.
16Which 1960 case struck down gerrymandering designed to disenfranchise Black voters?
Gomillion v. Lightfoot (1960) - Electoral district boundaries drawn only to disenfranchise blacks violate the Fifteenth Amendment.
17Which 1960 case banned all racial segregation in public transportation?
Boynton v. Virginia (1960) - Ruled that racial segregation in all forms of public transportation is illegal under the Interstate Commerce Act.
18Which 1961 case protected peaceful sit-in demonstrators from arrest?
Garner v. Louisiana (1961) - Peaceful sit-in demonstrators protesting segregationist policies cannot be arrested under 'disturbing the peace' laws.
19Which 1964 case upheld the Civil Rights Act's public accommodations provision?
Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (1964) - Commerce Clause gives Congress power to force private businesses to comply with Title II prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations.
20Which 1967 case struck down laws banning interracial marriage?
Loving v. Virginia (1967) - Laws prohibiting interracial marriage (anti-miscegenation laws) are unconstitutional.
21Which 1971 case upheld school busing for racial integration?
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education (1971) - Busing of students to promote racial integration in public schools is constitutional.
22Which 1971 case established the disparate impact doctrine in employment?
Griggs v. Duke Power Co. (1971) - Employer policies generating unequal employment outcomes violate Title VII even without proven intent, if not necessary for business purposes.
23Which 1974 case required supplemental language instruction for limited English students?
Lau v. Nichols (1974) - Lack of supplemental language instruction for students with limited English proficiency violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
24Which 1974 case ended the trusty system and abolished prison segregation?
Gates v. Collier (1974) - Ended the trusty system at Mississippi State Penitentiary, abolished racial segregation in prisons, and ruled various corporal punishments cruel and unusual.
25Which 1976 case ruled private schools cannot discriminate based on race?
Runyon v. McCrary (1976) - Private schools that discriminate on the basis of race or establish racial segregation violate federal law.
26Which 1978 case struck down racial quotas but allowed limited use of race in admissions?
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) - Racial quotas violate Equal Protection, but narrowly tailored use of race in admissions may be permissible. Partially overruled 2023.
27Which 1986 case prohibited race-based peremptory jury challenges?
Batson v. Kentucky (1986) - Prosecutors may not use peremptory challenges to dismiss jurors based on their race.
28Which 1995 case applied strict scrutiny to affirmative action programs?
Adarand Constructors v. Peña (1995) - Race-based discrimination, including affirmative action, must pass strict scrutiny.
29Which 2003 case struck down Michigan's undergraduate affirmative action points system?
Gratz v. Bollinger (2003) - University of Michigan's points system of undergraduate affirmative action violated Equal Protection Clause.
30Which 2003 case upheld narrowly tailored affirmative action in law schools?
Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) - Narrowly tailored use of race in admissions permissible because diverse student body benefits all. Overruled by Students for Fair Admissions (2023).