Have There Been Any Supreme Court Cases Involving the 13th Amendment?
Supreme Court cases involving the 13th Amendment include Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), Jones v. Alfred H. Meyer & Co. (1968) and Memphis v. Greene (1981). The 13th Amendment concerns the abolition of slavery.
In Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), the Supreme Court stated that Congress did not have the power to tell territories whether or not they could keep slaves. As a result of the ruling, those who supported the use of slaves began rebelling against the 13th amendment, which contributed to the onset of the Civil War.
In Jones v. Alfred H. Meyer & Co (1968), a man named Joseph Jones found himself unable to purchase a home because he was black. However, the 13th Amendment’s second section protects citizens against discrimination when buying a house. Although the development company in question argued that Congress could not dictate to whom it sold houses, the Supreme Court upheld Congress’ decision under the 13th Amendment.
In Memphis v. Green, a boundary had been placed between a white and black neighborhood, as those living in the white neighborhood believed its close proximity to the black neighborhood would affect house prices. The Supreme Court stated that this constituted a “badge of slavery,” which is banned under the 13th Amendment.
