1. Bell Work T/F Quiz, Section 2.5
Get your Landmark Supreme Court Cases Assignment out

2. Chapter 11: Civil Rights

3. 11.1: Civil Rights and Discrimination

4. Civil Rights in the U.S. What are civil rights? Rights that involve:
Equal status and treatment
Ensuring that all citizens get equal treatment
Being free from discrimination
Unjust treatment of a people
The right to participate in government
Voting, running for office, participating in the political process

5. Expansion of civil rights through principles in the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence states, “all men are created equal”
Women and minorities were not included originally
Women’s participation in politics was considered unnecessary
Racial minorities were NOT thought of as equals at that time
Women and minorities were able to redefine equal treatment through
Constitutional amendments
Federal laws
State laws
Legal and Supreme Court decisions

6. Legal Sources of Civil Rights
1.) Constitutional Amendments:
1st, 5th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th
2.) Federal Laws, such as:
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Voting Rights Act of 1965
3.) Supreme Court Rulings, such as:
Brown v. Board of Education 1954 (desegregated public schools)
4.) Various state civil rights laws

7. Populations discriminated against historically:
African Americans
Native Americans
Asian Americans
Latino
Americans
Women

8. Partner Work
Go to page in your books and write down one injustice each demographic has suffered throughout U.S. History
African Americans -
Native Americans -
Asian Americans -
Latino Americans -
Women -

9. 11.2 Equal Justice Under the Law

10. Bell Work
Answer the following questions on the back of your PowerPoint notes:
1. What are the three major powers of any government and what is the main duty of each?
2. Define: Dictatorship
3. Define: Democracy

11. 14th Amendment – Equal Protection Clause
14th amendment states, “No State shall…deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of laws.”
This is known as the equal protection clause
Targeted specifically at the states…why?
Protect the rights of newly freed slaves…ESPECIALLY in the southern states
14th amendment is the first time the Constitution required the states to protect basic civil rights.

12. 14th Amendment
Although the 14th amendment was originally written to protect freed slaves, the Supreme Court has interpreted the equal protection clause in a way that prevents states from classifying any group of people unfairly or making unreasonable distinctions among groups

13. 14th Amendment – Reasonable Distinction
HOWEVER, the equal protection clause does not mean that all people will be guaranteed to be treated exactly the same in every situation.
Example:
State parks can distinguish between employees and visitors of the park and charge visitors an admission fee
If the visitor does not pay, the park can deny entry
They cannot deny entry to those who have green eyes and red hair
Denying entry to a paying customer with red hair and green eyes is unreasonable

14. Reasonable Distinction
Reasonable distinction – When it is legal to distinguish between two groups of people
Three tests to determine if a law has reasonable distinction:
1.) rational basis test – does it accomplish a legitimate goal of the government?
Not allowing teenagers to get their license until they are 16
Rational? Accomplishes a goal of the government?
Legal drinking age of 21

15. Reasonable Distinction
2.) Intermediate Scrutiny Test
Does the government have an important reason for treating two groups differently?
Used with laws associated with gender
Example: Women and the draft – Since all gender-based restrictions on military service has been lifted in 2016, the draft may now be open to female citizens as well.
United States v. Virginia (1996)
Supreme Court case that centered around denying admission to females to the Virginia Military Academy
Ruled that it violated the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment and now females can attend the school

16. Reasonable Distinction
Strict Scrutiny Test
Used when a fundamental right is restricted (freedom of speech, right to vote, etc.)
Used when a classification is based on race or national origin
****Korematsu v United States****
WWII, the United States created internment camps for Japanese Americans following FDR’s executive order
Korematsu refused to go to…tried to sue

17. Korematsu v. United States
WWII, the United States created internment camps for Japanese Americans following FDR’s executive order. Japanese spies were in fact within the public of the United States at that time.
Fred Korematsu refused to leave California and enter the internment camp, citing the “equal protection clause” of the 14th amendment and was unfair racial discrimination.
However, the Supreme Court ruled that the government’s compelling interest to protect the public from sabotage outweighed the civil rights of Korematsu and other Japanese Americans

18. 1. What are the theories of government held by Enlightenment thinkers?
2. What was “Common Sense”? 
3. Define: Limited Government
4. Who were the influences on the Declaration of Independence?