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Question 1
What did the Supreme Court rule in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?
Answer: The Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the 'separate but equal' doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).
Question 2
What legal doctrine did Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) establish that the Civil Rights Movement sought to dismantle?
Answer: Plessy v. Ferguson established the 'separate but equal' doctrine, which legally justified racial segregation in public facilities as long as the separate facilities were ostensibly equal.
Question 3
What was the significance of Shelley v. Kraemer (1948) to the Civil Rights Movement?
Answer: The Supreme Court ruled that racially restrictive covenants in housing contracts were legally unenforceable, striking a blow against residential segregation enforced through private agreements.
Question 4
What did the Supreme Court rule in Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (1964)?
Answer: The Court upheld the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ruling that Congress could use the Commerce Clause to prohibit racial discrimination in public accommodations such as hotels and restaurants.
Question 5
What were the two most significant provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
Answer: The Act banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in employment and public accommodations, and it created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to enforce these provisions.