Ferguson 1896 equal protection and affirmative action case background although the declaration of independence affirmed that all. In 1896, the supreme court issued its decision in plessy v. Homer plessy, an african american man, was convicted of attempting to ride in a car reserved for white travelers. In that decision could indeed be found, at long last, a vindication, a postmortem. When plessy was told to vacate the whitesonly car, he refused and was arrested.
Ferguson, united states supreme court, 1896 case summary of plessy v. Ferguson decision upheld the principle of racial segregation over the next halfcentury. Homer plessy was an octoroon which meant that he was only 18 african american who was. Board of education of topeka, kansas and congressional civil rights acts of the. Full text of plessy v ferguson 163 us 537 1896 see other formats plessy v. Earlier court decisions had invalidated the civil rights act of 1875, which had attempted to prohibit racial discrimination by private businesses. Supreme court, which upheld the previous decisions that racial segregation is constitutional under the separate but equal. The judge found that louisiana could enforce this law insofar as it affected railroads within its. Reading breaking the rules you may have heard the saying, some rules are meant to be broken. Ferguson supreme court case that established the separatebutequal policy for separating the races. Using the full text of the courts opinion, along with a selection of responses to the ruling, brook thomas allows students to recreate a context of the complicated debates and conditions in which.
Ferguson 1896 equal protection and affirmative action case background although the declaration of independence affirmed that all men are created equal, and had inalienable rights. Ferguson todays document from the national archives. Ferguson decision made legal a system of separate but equal racial segregation not overruled until 1954. The committee of citizens challenged the constitutionality of the law on behalf of plessy, claiming it violated the equal protection law under. The committee of citizens appealed on plessys behalf to the louisiana supreme court, which upheld judge fergusons ruling. Ferguson 1896 abridged 1 the statute of louisiana, acts of 1890, c. Indeed, it was not until the supreme courts decision in brown v. After the slaves were declared free by the th amendment, life for the freedmen was made difficult by a series of laws designed to remind freedmen that. Plessy, a louisiana citizen of african american descent, was asked to move from the caucasian railway car.
Featuring 100 milestone documents of american history from the national archives. After losing twice in the lower courts, plessy took his case to the u. Sep 04, 2017 plessy then sought a writ of prohibition against ferguson. Ferguson 1896 the object of the fourteenth amendment was undoubtedly to enforce the absolute equality of the two races before the law, but in the nature of things it could not have been intended to abolish distinctions based upon color, or to enforce social, as distinguished from political, equality. Ferguson, was judge of the criminal district court for the parish of orleans. The committee of citizens challenged the constitutionality of the law on behalf of plessy, claiming it violated the equal protection law under the 14th amendment. Ex parte plessy 1892 plessy petitioned the louisiana supreme court not as an appeal of the district court decision but in a separate case on his behalf, for a writ of prohibition to stop judge ferguson from continuing the legal proceedings against him. The state of louisiana had passed the separate car act, which required railway companies to have separate but equal train cars for black people and white. In 1892, homer plessy, who was oneeighth black, purchased a firstclass ticket and sat in the whitedesignated railroad car.
Plessy was an american citizen who was considered to be 78 white and 18 african american his greatgrandmother being black. The americans slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Plessy appealed his conviction to the supreme court. Ferguson 1896 the object of the fourteenth amendment was undoubtedly to enforce the absolute equality of the two races before the law, but in the nature of things it could not have been intended to abolish distinctions.
Supreme court decision that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the separate but equal. For almost 60 years, states continued to use this decision as legal justifica. Constitution dealt with political and not social equality. Includes images of original primary source documents, lesson plans, teacher and student competitions, and educational resources. At trial, plessys lawyers argued that the separate car act violated the thirteenth and fourteenth amendments. Issued on may 18, 1896, the ruling in this supreme court case upheld a louisiana state law that allowed for equal but separate accommodations for the white.
Ferguson ruled that separatebutequal facilities were constitutional. Using the full text of the courts opinion, along with a selection of responses to the ruling, brook thomas allows students to recreate a context of the complicated debates and conditions in which the decision took place. Supreme court, on may 18, 1896, by a seventoone majority one justice did not participate, advanced the controversial separate but equal doctrine for assessing the constitutionality of racial segregation laws. In this lesson students will enhance their skills to comprehend, analyze, and assess the meaning and significance of historical texts and to develop their own positions on the meaning of freedom and equality and whether those values have been adequately. To view this pdf as a projectable presentation, save the file, click view in. Although the declaration of independence affirmed that. It was a 7 to 1 decision in favor of ferguson and the louisiana law. Ferguson 1896 supreme court decision on jim crow laws. Jun 18, 2014 after the slaves were declared free by the th amendment, life for the freedmen was made difficult by a series of laws designed to remind freedmen that they were less than white people. If the accommodations are separate but equal, then the law is constitutional. Using the full text of the courts opinion, along with a selection of responses to the ruling, brook thomas allows students to recreate a con. Plessy was arrested for violating the separate car act and argued in court that the act violated the th and 14th amendments to the constitution.
The decision legitimized the many state laws reestablishing racial segregation that had been passed. Home supreme court of the united states chief justices yearend reports on the federal judiciary today at the court sunday, dec 1, 2019 the supreme court building is closed on weekends and federal holidays. Justice henry brown of michigan delivered the majority opinion, which sustained the constitutionality of louisianas jim crow law. Contributor names supreme court of the united states author. Ferguson established that the policy of separate but equal was legal and states could pass laws requiring segregation of the races. The court upheld an 1890 louisiana statute mandating racially segregated but equal railroad carriages, ruling that the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment to the u. Ferguson remained the law of the land for fiftyeight years lacking one day, from may 18, 1896, to may 17, 1954, when the supreme court at last renounced it in the school segregation cases of brown et al. Supreme court that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities as long as the segregated facilities were equal in quality a doctrine that came to be known as separate but equal. Even though plessy was only oneeighths black and seveneighths white, he was considered. In this case, the supreme court maintained the constitutionality of racial segregation laws. Who was the lone dissenter on the supreme court and what did he argue. Car act and further stated plessy refused to admit he was black.
What were the two major reasons for the passage of the 14th amendment. Ferguson started when a 30yearold colored shoemaker named homer plessy was put in jail for sitting in the white car of the east louisiana railroad on june 7, 1892. The court ruled that the constitution doesnt guarantee plessy can sit where he wants. Ferguson supreme court case 1896 separate but equal power point created by robert l.
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