Plessy v. Ferguson
(state of Louisiana)
Unit 7 – The Times They Are AChangin’
•Plessy v. Ferguson
1896 court case set
the policy of separate
but equal through the
1950s
Background:
• In the 1890s Homer Plessy was an African
American who had purchased a first-class
ticket on a Louisiana train
• When he tried to sit in the first-class car, he
was arrested because Louisiana’s laws did not
allow African Americans to ride in first class
with whites
Background
•Plessy and his lawyers
argued that this violated
th
the 14 Amendment’s
guarantee of equal legal
treatment
The Court Ruling
• The Supreme Court (the highest court in the
country) ruled against Plessy, arguing that it
was legal to force African Americans and
whites to use separate facilities as long as the
facilities were of equal quality
• According to the Court, this was fair so long as
“separate-but-equal” facilities were provided
for African Americans
The Judge Who Disagreed
• John Mashall Harlan said:
“In the eye of the law, there is in this
country no superior, dominant
[controlling], ruling class of citizens…Our
constitution is color blind, and neither
knows nor tolerates classes among citizens.
In respect of civil rights, all citizens are
equal before the law.”