This presentation was adapted from Equality: Are Some More Equal than Others?

Even with the protection of individuals under the Bill of Rights, several groups of people have had to demand the extension of their civil rights. Civil Rights are the policies that extend basic rights to groups that have historically been discriminated against. Inequality in the United States typically centers around issues of race, gender, age, disability, and sexual preference.

Dred Scott case: ruled that African Americans were not and could not be citizens of the United States. Therefore, they didn’t have the right to sue in state or federal courts. Jim Crow Laws: black codes that brought official segregation. Plessy v. Ferguson: court ruled that segregation was not unconstitutional as long as facilities were identical. In reality, facilities were rarely equal.

Indian Removal Act of 1830: treaties with Native Americans to provide land west of the Mississippi River. Many of the chiefs were forced to sign these agreements. In 1867 the government established two reservations where all tribes would be confined. Dawes Act of 1887: recognized that the reservations were not working and instead decided to force assimilation into White culture.

During the Great Depression, the government had the Mexican Repatriation program that was supposed to encourage Hispanics to go to Mexico. However, most of them were forced to go, many of which were U.S. citizens. Mexican school children in CA were segregated into “Mexican schools”. This was not declared unconstitutional until 1947.

Periodic Limitations on Asian Immigration : Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was not repealed until after WWII, McCarren-Walter Immigration Nationality Act of 1952 established a quota system that was anti-Asian. Korematsu v. United States: 1944, upheld FDR’s decision to order Japanese Americans into internment camps.

Battle for the Vote: not achieved until the 19 th Amendment in Sex Discrimination in the workplace: in employment, wages and sexual harassment. Sex Discrimination in federally subsidized education programs Women in the military: only men were to register for the draft, and women were prohibited from serving in combat.

Young Americans Children were not protected from working long hours in unhealthy working conditions. In addition they were given very low wages. Age discrimination in the work place is difficult to prove but it is protected by the Age Discrimination Employment Act of 1967 Aged Americans

Historically, we isolated people with physical and mental disabilities. Americans with Disabilities were often confined to institutions with poor standards. Americans with Disabilities also had limited access to education and employment. Accessibility of public buildings and transportation was also not mandated by the government.

The gay and lesbian battle for civil rights is a battle we are currently seeing played out today. Some of the areas in which homosexuals have faced discrimination are in the workplace, in housing, and in education. They have also had less access to public accommodations then their counterparts. Gay activists are currently fighting for their right to marry.

1) In what ways has the scope of government grown with the demands placed on it by minorities? 2) If you were a member of a discriminated group how would you act to bring change? 3) How do you think other nations have dealt with issues of civil rights? (keep in mind the various regime types)

How has the minority struggle for civil rights affected the nature of democracy?

The information found in this presentation was taken from: Government in America, 10 th edition (2002) Edwards, Wattenberg, Lineberry The images found in this presentation were taken from: Website Resource: ica/united_states_of_america/