Lesson 19
How Has the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment Changed the Constitution?
The previous lesson explained how the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits state governments from depriving a person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. This lesson examines how the equal protection clause prohibits state governments from denying people "equal protection of the laws." Like the due process clause, the equal protection clause places limits on America?s governments, not private individuals.Section 1
What is the meaning of the equal protection clause in the Fourteenth Amendment?- Discussion and research questions
Section 2
What was the Separate but Equal Doctrine, what were its effects, and what role did the NAACP play in overturning it?- Discussion and research questions
Section 3
What difficulties arose in the implementation of the decision in Brown v. Board of Education?- Discussion and research questions
Section 4
How has the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause changed since the Brown decision?- Discussion and research questions
Section 5
What are some current controversies over the equal protection clause?- Discussion and research questions