Plessy vs. Ferguson

Facts of the case?

The state of Louisiana enacted a law that required separate railway cars for blacks and whites. In 1892, Home Adolph Plessy who was seven-eights Caucasian took a seat in a "whites only" car of a Louisiana train. He refused to move to the car reserved for blacks and was arrested.

Question presented before the U.S Supreme Court .

Can the states constitutionally enact legislation requiring persons of different races to " separate but equal " segregated facilities ?

Plessy vs. Ferguson

Relief sought

Dissenting opinion

• What the plantiff really wants is to be treated equally and to end segregation.
• Majority decision of the court: The majority rejected Plessy's 13th and 14th amendment argument.
• What was the Supreme Court vote in the majority? The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Ferguson.
• What date for the majority decision? May 18, 1896.
• Which Justices voted for the majority? The state legislatures voted for majority.
• Who wrote the majority decision? Justice Henry Brown.
• The majority opinion was a seven to one ruling that rejected Plessy's arguments that the act violated his 13th and 14th amendment to the U.S constitution. Were there any concurrent opinions written?By whom? No, there were not any concurrent opinions written in this case.

The most famous dissent written by Justice John Marshall Harlan a former slave owner and a pro- slavery politician disagreed with what the majority voted arguing that segregationist laws indoctrinate society with the belief that the two races are not equal. he stated that people were color blind towards the constitutions.

Lower court verdict

Is the case relevant or superseded?

Petition before the Supreme Court

The Louisiana State Supreme Court affirmed Ferguson's ruling and refused to grant a rehearing but did allow a petition for writ of error.

The defendant argued that his Civil Rights granted by the 13th and 14th amendments had been violated. The planting denied the argument and ruled that Louisiana under state law had the power to set rules that regulated railroad business within its borders. The defendant's rights were violated. He refused to sit in the " blacks-only" passenger car and was arrested.

Importance of the Case

Plessy vs. Ferguson is a important court case because it gave legal insight to the idea of separate but equal. This doctrine required that any separate facilities had to be of equal quality, However, as segregation grew in the South this often not the case . The case paved the way for civil rights act that came decades later, or even before that this case shed light on Brown v. BOE. The seperate but equal doctrine paved the way black and whites lived in this country for years.

Jamesa Byers

Treyunia Peagler

Abdricka Lewis

Jatonio Davis

Jadarian Black

The case does remain relevant because it is about equal rights in which people today are learning about. The Plessy vs. Ferguson case is in history books today.