1. Brown v. Board of Education
The case of Brown vs. the Board of Education took place in 1952 when by law,
races were to be segregated. It all began when an African American third grade girl
named Linda Brown was denied acceptance to a “white school.” Her father was outraged
and took the issue to the head of NAACP. He believed that segregation in schools was
detrimental to the growth and education of children. On the other side of the argument
were individuals who believed that it had no effect on them and it was actually preparing
them for racism and segregation that they would face later in life. After several years, the
court adopted the fourteenth amendment and voted for “separate but equal” action.
Because of this, it did not abolish segregation in other public areas however; it was a
massive step towards desegregation in schools.

2. Gideon v. Wainwright
We all have heard the famous lines the cop tells a felon while being arrested: “you
have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you.”
Well in the case of Gideon v. Wainwright, he was charged with a felony and could not
afford an attorney so he asked for one. The court denied him that right explaining that by
state law; only capital cases were able to have that access. He took the issue to the State
Supreme Court saying that his rights as an American were denied and he was once again
denied by the court. He was later sentenced to five years in prison. The effect of this case
was that the court denied him his rights to an attorney and also to a fair and speedy trial.

3. 14th Amendment
The fourteenth amendment granted citizenship to everyone born or naturalized in
the United States, forbid any state to deny someone the right of “life, liberty, and estate,”
ensured equal protection of everyone, and expanded Civil Rights. It impacted everyone
but African Americans in particular. Every citizen included former slaves and current
ones. Also, because of segregation, it impacted the school system because everyone was
considered equal and therefore, started combining schools.

4. 15th Amendment
The fifteenth amendment granted African Americans the right to vote. Up until
this time, segregation was popular and they did not have many rights that white people
had. Many people still found ways of getting around the fifteenth amendment however,
through poll taxes and literacy tests. It wasn’t until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that
African Americans truly had the right to vote but the fifteenth amendment was the first
step towards that goal.

5. Works Cited
"BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION." BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION.
Chicago kent school of law, n.d. Web. 9 Jan. 2013.
<http://www.oyez.org/cases/1950-1959/1952/1952_1>.
"GIDEON v. WAINWRIGHT." GIDEON v. WAINWRIGHT. Chicago Kent College of
Law, n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2013. <http://www.oyez.org/cases/1960-
1969/1962/1962_155>.
"history and culture." Brown Vs. Board of Education. National Park Service, n.d. Web. 9
Jan. 2013. <http://www.nps.gov/brvb/historyculture/index.htm>.
"Primary Documents in American History." 15th Amendment to the Constitution. N.p., 24
Aug. 2012. Web. 10 Jan. 2013.
<http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/15thamendment.html>.