20.1.3

Brown v. Topeka

Test yourself

The Brown v. Topeka Case 1954

NAACP combined five cases that had failed to argue against school desegregation, and took them to the Supreme Court in ‘Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas’.

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The case of Brown v. Topeka

  • NAACP combined five cases that had failed to argue against school desegregation, and took them to the Supreme Court in ‘Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas’.
  • They argued that even with equal provision and facilities, being segregated from white students made black children feel inferior.
  • They argued that 'separate but equal' therefore broke the 14th Amendment.
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The judges

  • During the case, a pro-segregation judge died and was replaced with an anti-segregation judge called Earl Warren who became Chief Justice, meaning he led the Supreme Court.
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The verdict of Brown v. Topeka

  • On 17th May 1954, the Supreme Court said schools ruled Plessy unconstitutional and schools were told to desegregate.
  • However, it didn’t say when they had to do this by, so schools could avoid desegregating.
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Brown II

  • In May 1955 Brown II ruled that all states should make a ‘prompt and reasonable start’ on desegregation, but still didn’t give a deadline.

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1Empires East & West: 1000 AD

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2The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

2.1Anglo-Saxon England

2.2The Contest for the English Throne

2.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

2.4King John

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3Worldviews

4The Empire of Mali: 1076-1670 AD

5The Renaissance & Reformations: 1500-1598 AD

6The British Empire: 1583-1960 AD

7The Peasants' Revolt: 1381 AD

8Religion in the Middle Ages

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11The Industrial Revolution: 1750-1840 AD

12US Independence: 1775-1783 AD

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14The British Empire: 1857–1930 AD

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16World War 1: 1914-1918 AD

17The Inter-War Years: 1919-1939 AD

18World War 2: 1939-1945 AD

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20Civil Rights in the USA: 1954-1975 AD

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