by Dan McDowell, West Hills High School Civil Rights in the
United States has seen dramatic change in the last 100 years.
This WebQuest explores the most influential Supreme Court cases
that shaped modern day civil rights. The Civil Rights Movement
of the 1950's and 1960's can be considered one of the most
important eras in United States history. It is during this time
that we shed the tremendous burden of the post-Reconstruction
failures of the federal government. However, civil rights in the
United States have a long history that has been shaped by the
Supreme Court. The decisions made by the highest court in the
land helped push this country towards a Civil War, allowed for
separate but equal, reversed that decision, and finally placed
limits on affirmative action. This activity will use four
landmark Supreme Court decisions to show the evolution of civil
rights and the power of the Court.