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SUPREME COURT HISTORY
Expanding Civil Rights
Introduction
E-Mail this Page Glossary

Review the Court's History Many of these cases have names you've never heard before, but each of them has had a profound impact on all areas of American life, including education, law enforcement, taxes, and privacy.

Find out how! 		Photo of Nettie and Nickie Hunt on the steps of the Supreme Court building the day after the Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.
Photo of a poster urging the impeachment of Earl Warren Beginning with the so-called "Revolution of 1937," the Court began incorporating -- applying -- the protections encoded in the Bill of Rights to the states. How did this process work, and what were the political consequences?

Read and find out!
Landmark Cases
Photo of the scales of justice Just Change Explore the Supreme Court's evolving stance on the issues of citizenship and equality.
Portrait of Earl Warren Biographies of the Robes
Just Change Play the Game
The Supreme Court has included diverse personalities from across the political spectrum, from brilliant scholars to seasoned politicians. Their ranks include former senators, congressmen, a president, and even a member of the NFL Hall of Fame.

Learn more!
Photos of newspapers Primary Sources
Read letters and memoranda on civil rights written by Thurgood Marshall and William Rehnquist. Learn more about the forces behind the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Go!

''If there is a bedrock principle of the first amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.'' a quote from William J. Brennan Did You Know? Before his appointment to the Supreme Court, Justice Byron White led the NFL in rushing while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates (later called the Steelers).