S UPREME C OURT C ASES
1876-1908
U.S. V. R EESE 1876
African American in Kentucky was
barred from registering to vote
Court ruled that the 15th Am. did not
grant the right to suffrage, rather, it
prohibited racial exclusion of it
Elected official was charged with
violating Enforcement Act 1870
Court could not use Enforcement Act to
enforce the 15th Am.
Supreme Court upheld poll tax, literacy
test, grandfather clause
M UNN V. I LLINOIS 1877
Munn convicted of violating Illinois
state laws regulating max rates for
services
Munn argued the 14th Am. (property,
due process), private enterprise was
separate from state gov.
Ruling: private companies that
benefit the public marketplace can be
subject to legislation
State regulation, even with railroads
R EYNOLDS V. U NITED S TATES
1878
George Reynolds (secretary to
Brigham Young) was convicted of
practicing bigamy
He argued that the 1st Am. protected
plural marriage as a religious
practice, and that the federal antibigamy law was unconstitutional
Decision: 1st Am. protects religious
belief, not religious practices that are
seen as criminal
P LESSY V. F ERGUSON 1896
Homer Plessy challenged state law
prohibiting blacks from riding in white
only rail cars; he was arrested for
refusing to move
Equal protection of the laws under the
14th Am.
Court ruled separate but equal facilities
do not violate the 14th Am. as long as
both facilities are equal
Legacy: segregation soared in the South,
now that it was backed by the Court (Jim
Crow laws)
L OCHNER V. N EW Y ORK 1905
NY enacted a statute forbidding
bakers to work more than 60 hr
weeks (10 hr day)
Argued the 14th Am. of due process:
personal right to work
Ruling: statute interfered with
freedom of contract, employer and
employee can enter into an individual
contract without state intervention
M ULLER V. O REGON 1908
Oregon enacted a law limiting
women’s working hours to 10 hr days
Muller was owner of laundry service
that hired females
Freedom of contract: 14th Am. and
Lochner v. NY decision
Ruling: no violation was made by the
state, physical and social differences
between genders called for different
laws
Legacy: sex discrimination
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