Earl Warren became the 14th chief justice of the Supreme Court on October 4, 1953, at a time when the

United States was on the cusp of significant changes. The civil rights movement had not yet officially
begun, but members of marginalized groups were already organizing for racial and economic justice.

In the 1940s, segregation in the armed forces and Major League Baseball were challenged and
desegregated, and civil rights activists began to challenge segregation in interstate travel and food
establishments. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which denied Chinese laborers citizenship and
immigration privileges, was repealed. Fred Korematsu stood up for his civil liberties and challenged
federal orders for Japanese Americans to move into internment camps after Japan's 1941 attack on
Pearl Harbor. During WWII, women entered the workforce in greater numbers, and after the war, they
sought more professional opportunities.

In this postwar period, which set the stage for the significant social changes of the 1950s and 60s,
Warren began his 16-year tenure as chief justice. He had previously served as California governor from
1943 to 1953, as well as California Attorney General and Alameda County District Attorney. Warren took
over from Chief Justice Fred Vinson, who passed away in September 1953.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower saw Warren as a centrist Republican with a professional background in
law enforcement, but Warren's views shifted left over time, viewing the Constitution as a living
document rather than a fixed one. With this mindset, the Warren Court made several landmark
decisions in civil rights cases during his tenure.