Transcript Plessy v. Fergusson (1896)

Plessy v.
Fergusson (1896)
Peter Yuan
Quetzalli Gonzalez
Yadi Romero
Period 6
BACKGROUND
• Plessy is 7/8 Caucasian and 1/8 African
blood.
• Undiscernible mix
• Part of a civil rights organization that
challenged the Separate Car Acts.
• Separate Car Act
• Passed by Louisiana State Legislature
• “equal, but separate” train car accommodations
BACKGROUND
• Plessy paid and sat in the 1stclass seat from New
Orleans to Covington.
• Conductor asked him to move.
• Refused. Police officer ejected Plessy from the train
and put him in jail.
• The judge proceeding over the civil case (John H.
Ferguson) found Plessy guilty on grounds that
Louisiana had state police powers to enforce
legislature
• Plessy petitioned for Writs of Certiorari
Petitioner’s Argument
• Can
States make legislation that requires
people of different races to use “separate but
equal” segregated facilities????????
• Plessy argued that Ferguson violated the 14th
and 13th amendment
• 14th amendment forbids unequal treatment
based on ethnicity
Respondent's Argument
• Respondent (John H. Ferguson, argued
by Louisiana Attorney General) each
state bears the right to make regulations
for public safety.
• Reflected public will
• Within bounds of 14th Amendment
• Satisfied the demand of the public
Ruling
• The Court ruled
• The separation of races does not
abridge the rights of the color man, or
deprive him of due process, within the
14th Amendment.
• Enforce the equality of law, not
equality of social status
Significance
• Upheld the constitutionality of “separate but equal”
doctrine.
• The state must provide equal accommodations for
both races.
• Validated the practice of segregation.
• Gave way to the Jim Crow laws in the south.
• Essentially granted legislative immunity to
states regarding race.
• Superseded by Brown v. Board of Education
Skit
• Volunteers for
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Plessy
Ferguson
Police Officer
Conductor
Chief Justice