Ryan Stiles
Pd. 2 Kila
Plessy v. Ferguson Questions
1. What law did Homer Plessy violate? How did Plessy violate this law?
2. What rights do the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution
provide?
3. If you were Plessy's lawyer, how would you justify your claim that the "Separate
Car Act" violates the Thirteenth and Fourteenth amendments?
4. In State of Louisiana v. Plessy, Judge Ferguson decided that the state could
choose to regulate railroad companies that operated within the state even though
he had previously declared the "Separate Car Act" unconstitutional on trains that
traveled through several states. If an act is declared unconstitutional in one case,
shouldn't it be held unconstitutional in all cases? How do you think Judge
Ferguson could legally justify making this distinction?
5. Is it possible for two races to remain separated while striving for equality? Are
separation and equality compatible? Why or why not?
6. Can you think of an example or situation where separation does not mean
inequality?
1.) Plessy violated the separate car act, which separated the white and black races
onboard of railway companies. He violated this law by sitting in the all white
section, even though he was only one eight black.
2.) The 13th amendment states that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall
exist in the U.S. The 14th amendment states that all U.S citizens are under equal
protection of the laws and no state can deprive any citizen of life, liberty, or
property.
3.) If I was Plessy’s lawyer I would firmly state that the separate car Act is most
definitely in violation of the 13th and 14th amendments, because all citizens are
guaranteed equal rights, and the separate Car Act takes away this freedom
onboard of any railway company, this act is extremely unconstitutional.
4.) If an act is declared unconstitutional in one case, it must stay that way for all
cases! Judge Ferguson could justify the “separate, but equal” slogan in this case,
because both races are guaranteed the same transportation, just in different
areas.
5.) No two races should be “separate but equal”, it is not compatible in any way. It
causes pandemonium everywhere and is extremely unconstitutional to separate
people based on the color of their skin.
6.) In restrooms is the only place that would have been acceptable to segregate
people based on their race, because either way a bathroom is just a bathroom.
Unlike segregating schools or transportation systems, which causes an uproar of
commotion, because it is unjust in being “equal”, not providing the same
opportunities or meeting the same qualifications on both sides.