Megan Tessier Chelsea Finch Laura Gillie
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Plessy v. Ferguson
• The Separate Car Act was passed in Louisiana during the 1890s
which declared that rail companies must provide separate but
equal accommodations for white and non-white passengers.
• For occupying the wrong compartment a person could face
either a twenty five dollar fine or up to 20 days in jail.
• This act created controversy and concern which forced black
citizens to rebel.
• Homer Plessy refused to obey and purchased a first-class ticket
and sat proudly in a white-designated area on the railroad car.
• He was immediately arrested for the violation of the Separate
Car Act.
• Plessy believed and argued in court that this act violated the
Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution.
• In the lower courts, Plessy lost his case twice which did not
stop him from reaching the Supreme Court.
• The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the previous decisions that
racial segregation is constitutional under the separate but
equal doctrine.
Plessy
v.
Ferguson
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Brown v. Board of Education
• In the 1950s, schools were separated by race especially in
Topeka, Kansas.
• Linda Brown along with her sister traveled to go to a black
elementary school even though a white school was more
convenient.
• As a result of Linda Brown and her family’s frustration, they
presented their case to the courts.
• She strongly believed this violated her Fourteenth Amendment
right and fought for equal rights.
• It was decided in the Federal District Court that segregation in
public schools was in fact harmful to African American
children.
• Unfortunately, it was found that since black and white schools
had similar buildings, transportation etc, segregation was
determined legal.
• Unsatisfied, the Browns appealed their case and presented
their argument that segregated schools will never be equal to
the Supreme Court.
• The decision was made then that state laws requiring separate
but equal schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the
Fourteenth Amendment.
Brown v. Board of Education
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
Miranda v. Arizona
• A victim identified Ernesto Miranda as the suspect in a crime.
• Police officers quickly questioned Ernesto about this situation
without informing him of his Fifth or Sixth Amendment rights.
• Fifth Amendment is the right against self incrimination.
• Sixth Amendment is the right to the assistance of an attorney.
• Miranda blatantly confessed to this crime without an attorney
present.
• The argument was that his confession should be excluded from
trial since he was not advised of his rights.
• The Supreme Court concluded that the police should have read
his rights to Miranda and did not follow proper procedure.
• Now, if a defendant has not been read his “Miranda” rights,
their statement is inadmissible in court.
Miranda v. Arizona
Roe v. Wade (1973)
Roe v. Wade
• In 1970, it was a felony in Texas to abort a fetus unless “on
medical advice for the purpose of saving the life of the
mother.”
• Unmarried and pregnant Jane Roe was a Texas resident whom
disagreed with this law.
• She filed a suit against the district attorney of Dallas County,
Wade.
• She believed it violated her First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and
Fourteenth Amendments.
• This law invaded her privacy and violated the guarantee of
personal liberty.
• The Supreme Court decided to invalidate any state law that
prohibited first trimester abortions.
Roe v. Wade
Works Cited
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http://www.streetlaw.org/en/Case.17.aspx
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/antebellum/images/plessy.jpg
http://bayimages.net/photos/washington-dc/supreme-court/
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/images/brown.jpg
http://www.footnote.com/page/83001069_brown_vs_board_of_education/
http://s3.hubimg.com/u/2077586_f520.jpg
http://scottsaulattorney.com/images/police%20car%20night%20photo.jpg
http://www.now.org/images/abortion/RoeAnniversaryVigil1.jpg
http://blog.pennlive.com/pennsyltucky/2008/01/AP080122026539.jpg
http://www.culturequest.us/ecomm/annstillman/plessy%20pic2.jpg