Unit 5

What are some circumstances that might cause government to limit the right to freedom of expression?

You are allowed your freedom of expression until it is dangerous to public safety, national security, some other important interest, or conflicts with the rights of someone else.

Abridging

limiting

Fifth Amendment

no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, without due process of law.

Due process

the right to be treated fairly by the government.

suffrage

the right to vote

Redress of Grievances

to correct wrongs

register

to enroll one's name officially as a requirement for voting.

grandfather clause

A law that stated that a citizen could vote only if his grandfather had been allowed to vote. The law made it impossible for African Americans to vote because their grandfathers had not been allowed to vote.

Civil rights movement

A social movement in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, in which people organized to demand equal rights for African Americans and other minorities. People worked together to change unfair laws. They gave speeches, marched in the streets, and participated in boycotts.

poll tax

A tax that voters in many states were required to pay in order to exercise their right to vote. These barriers were used until 1964 to prevent African Americans from voting.

literacy test

A test that requires people to prove that they are able to read and write. until 1964, these tests were used in various states throughout the country to keep minorities from voting.

Nineteenth Amendment

Added to the Constitution in 1920, gave women the right to vote.

What actions did ordinary citizens take to help end unfair discrimination?

Citizens marched in the streets, and wrote letters to Congress to make better laws. Citizens also held boycotts, and one of the earliest was in 1955, when Rosa Parks was riding on the city bus when she refused to give her seat up to a white man and was arrested. Citizens then boycotted the city buses until the city changed the law, and the boycott lasted for a year. Dr. King also gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, and helped support civil rights.

Establishment clause

Congress may not establish, that is institute, an official religion for our country or favor any one religion over another.

Free exercise clause

Congress may not stop you from holding any religious beliefs at all. Government may not unfairly or unreasonably limit your right to practice any religious beliefs you wish.

What laws did Congress pass to help end unfair discrimination?

Congress, passed the Civil Rights act of 1964. This ended segregation in public places, such as restaurants and hotels. forbade employers to discriminate based on race, gender, age.

What is the meaning of due process?

Due process means the right to be treated fairly by the government.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Ended segregation in public places such as restaurants and hotels. The law also said that employers could not discriminate against people because of their race, national origin, religion, or gender.

Why was freedom of religion an important principle in early America?

Few of the early English colonies in North America permitted religious freedom. Everyone had to follow the same religious ideas. People who disagreed were often persecuted or forced to leave. By the end of the colonial period people became more accepting of other's religious beliefs. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were greatly concerned about the dangers of religious intolerance which often led to conflict. The freedom clause in the first part of the First Amendment shows the strong belief in America that government should not interfere with religion.

Assemble

Get together in one place

What laws did congress pass to protect the constitutional right of citizens to vote?

In 1887 Congress passed the Dawes Act. This granted a tract of land and citizenship to those Native Americans who were willing to give up their allegiance to their tribe. This was resented by the tribes. Congress then passed a law in 1924 which is called the Indian Citizenship act. This gave citizenship to Native Americans and the right to vote in federal elections. Congress passed a law in 1970 which made the voting age 18.

Can government limit your right to practice your religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances?

In certain cases the government can limit your right to practice your religious beliefs. Religious practices may be limited if they are contrary to public morals, endanger health, or harm the common good. Also polygamy may be forbidden.

Where in the Constitution will you find the two due process clauses? In what way are the two clauses different?

In the Constitution you'll find the two due process clauses in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. The Fifth Amendment does not mention state governments. Therefore, this amendment applies only to actions of the federal government, unlike the FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT HOLMES!

Why do you think the guarantee of due process is so important?????? huh? why? tell! what like go? tell me now! because you are gay connor.

It is important because some people of different races might be treated unfairly in court or by a jury decision. Due process means that the procedures or methods used to conduct hearings and to apply and enforce the law, must be fair and reasonable. All branches of federal and state government must use fair procedures when they are carrying out their responsibilities. Due process also means that the content of the laws that congress and government pass must be fair and reasonable. I think this is important because then no person can be treated unfairly and the government cannot make unfair laws.

Jim Crow laws

Laws requiring African Americans to go to separate schools and facilities.

What were some of the restrictions on voting rights that kept various groups of people from voting?

Many colonies only allowed white men who owned property and belonged to a particular religious group to vote.

Procedure

Methods used to conduct hearings and to apply and enforce the law.

Can government limit your right to freedom of belief? Why or why not?

No government cannot, because of the free exercise clause, government cannot unfairly limit your right of practice and government cannot stop you from practicing your religion either.

Why must all agencies of government protect the individuals right to due process of law?

Protecting the individual from unfair treatment by government is among the most important protections of our constitutional democracy.

Equal protection clause

Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment. States that "No State shall... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." It protects the people against unfair discrimination by state and local governments.

Segregation

Separation of the races

What conflicts exist between freedom of religion and public education?

Some people believe in different religions than other people, so the teachers don't know what religion to teach people. Also there have been some conflicts in court deciding on these factors; whenever to tax religious schools, when students can take special classes for religion, and when students should have to read the Bible during school hours.

What rights and interests are involved when limiting freedom of expression to the public schools?

Students cannot express their opinions of what they think of current events in the world, such as wearing armbands, shirts, etc. Limiting freedom of expression in school also would not allow students to gather together and discuss their feelings, beliefs or ideas of events that are happening inside and outside of school. Students also wouldn't be able to vote for others, like in student council or even outside of school, like voting for their mayor or governor.

What amendments were added to the Constitution so that more people would have the right to vote?

The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were added. The 14th amendment granted full citizenship to African Americans so they can vote. The 15th amendment guaranteed the right to vote to men regardless of their "race". The 24th amendment was passed which said someone can vote whether or not they can pay the poll tax. The 19th amendment gave woman the right to vote. The last amendment which was passed was, the 26th amendment, which said that anybody over the age of 18 could vote.

Twenty-sixth Amendment

The Amendment adopted in 1964 that forbids the levying of a poll tax or any other tax on eligible voters in elections for federal officials, including the president, vice president and members of Congress.

Twenty-fourth Amendment

The Amendment that describes who becomes president of the president dies, s removed from office, resigns, or can no longer perform presidential duties. It also describes how the office of vice president is to be filled if a vacancy occurs.

First Amendment

The First Amendment states: "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Civil War Amendments

The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution ratified after the Civil War. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery. The Fourteenth Amendment granted full citizenship to African Americans. The Fifteenth Amendment guaranteed the right to vote to men regardless of their "race, color, or previous condition of servitude."

What did the U.S. Supreme Court decide in the Plessy v. Ferguson case? What effects did the decision have on the lives of African Americans?

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Plessy. They said that separating the races did not mean that one race was inferior, because the state law required the facilities to be separate but equal, the Supreme Court said there was no discrimination. This clause effected the African Americans because it allowed the states to practice segregation.

Voting Rights Act (1965)

The act further protected the right to vote for all U.S.citizens. it forced the states to obey the Constitution. it made it clear that the right to vote could not be denied because of a person's color or race.

What is the meaning of the equal protection clause? Why is this clause important?

The equal protection clause provided protection against unfair discrimination by state and local government. This section of the Fourteenth amendment provided a reason why the discrimination and segregation practiced by state and local governments was unconstitutional.

What conflicts exist over the freedom of religion clauses in the First Amendment?Give examples of each.

The establishment clause, and the free exercise clause. Those clause's state that government is to be separated by religion. The Free exercise clause states that each person has an absolute right to believe in any religion or in no religion at all.

What actions did the executive branch take to help end unfair discrimination?

The executive branch enforced the fourteenth amendment forcing schools to end segregation and passed the Civil rights act of 1964 to end pubic segregation.

Freedom of Expression

The freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of petition.

What did the U.S. Supreme Court decide in the Brown v. Board of Education case? Why was this an important case?

The supreme court decided to not let segregation happen. They said that placing African American children in schools separate from white children denied them the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. This was an important case because this led to blacks being let into white schools and segregation to be illegal.

What are the benefits of freedom of expression to the individual and to society?

There is Individual development and human dignity, advancement of knowledge, and the maintenance of Representative democracy.

Thirteenth Amendment

This Amendment abolished slavery. it was adopted after the Civil War 1865.

Boycott

To refuse to buy from or deal with stores and companies that practiced racial discrimination

Explain how each of the following groups of people gained the right to vote. African Americans, eighteen year olds, Native Americanos, and Women.

African Americans gained their right to vote because of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. The 13th amendment abolished slavery, the 14th amendment granted full citizenship to african Americans, and the 15th amendment guaranteed the right to vote to men regardless of their "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Congress later passed the Voting Rights Act in 1965 protecting the right to vote for all citizens and forced the states to obey the Constitution. Women protested against the belief that women should have no part in government. They slowing gained their right to vote when Wyoming granted the right to vote in 1869. By 1900 Colorado, Utah, and Idaho also gave women the right to vote. In1920 the states ratified the Nineteenth amendment which gave all women the right to vote. The first attempt to grant Native American citizenship came in 1887 when Congress passed the Dawes Act which granted a tract of land and citizenship to those who were willing to give up their allegiance to their tribe, but this was resented by most tribes. In 1924, the Indian Citizenship Act fully recognized Indians as citizens of the United States and gave them the right to vote. In the 1960s and 70s the government drafted young men to fight in the Vietnam War. Most were not allowed to vote because the voting age was 21. Congress amended the Constitution so suffrage would be extended to eighteen year olds. In 1971, the twenty-sixth amendment granted the right to vote to any citizen who is eighteen years of age or older.

What actions did citizens take to expand the right to vote to most Americans?

African Americans took part in what was called the Civil Rights Movement. This was a social movement in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, in which people organized to demand equal rights for African Americans and other minorities. People worked together to change unfair laws. They gave speeches, marched in the streets, and participated in boycotts. In 1848, a convention was held in New York that launched a national movement by women to win the right to vote.

Fifteenth Amendment

An Amendment to the Constitution, ratified after the Civil War in 1870, that forbids the denial of voting rights to any person based on race, color, or whether that person was previously a slave.

Fourteenth Amendment

An amendment to the Constitution that states that no person including people who are not citizens-will have their life, liberty, or property taken away by state or local governments without the process of law. This amendment protects a citizen's right to be treated fairly by his or her state and local governments. It also defines a citizen as anyone born or naturalized in the United States. It was one of the Civil War Amendments.

Separate but Equal

An argument made by the State governments saying that the separate schools and facilities were allowable because they have equal to those provided for whites.