100 Americans Making Constitutional History: A Biographical History presents 100 profiles of the key people behind some of the most important U.S. Supreme Court cases. Edited by Melvin I. Urofsky, a respected constitutional historian, each 2,000-word profile delves into the social and political context behind landmark Court decisions. For example, while a case like Brown v. Board of Education is about an important idea—the equal protection of the law—at its heart it is the story of a little girl, Linda Brown, who wanted to go to a decent school near her home. The outcome is accessible and objective “stories” about the individuals—heroes and scoundrels—who fought their way to constitutional history.

Lawrence A. Nixon

Lawrence A. Nixon

The All-White Primary

“In no Event shall a Negro be Eligible”

Nixon v. Herndon

273 U.S. 536 (1927)

Nixon v. Condon

286 U.S. 73 (1932)

Lawrence A. Nixon had a simple request: he wanted a ballot so that he could vote in the 1924 Texas Democratic primary. A lifelong Texan, Nixon knew and cared deeply about the issues of the day, and, as a physician, he was well-educated and as capable of making reasoned choices as any voter in the primary. As a believer in the Democratic Party's tenets and someone who had regularly voted for Democrats in general elections, he was ready and willing to take part in shaping the party's future by voting in the primary. Besides, as a registered voter legally permitted to ...

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