Plessy v. Ferguson - West Branch Schools
Plessy vs. Ferguson
By: Kelsey Byers, Ethan Carter, Micah Hault
Dates
1890: The state of Louisiana passed Act 111 –also known as, the Louisiana 1890 Separate Car Act
June 7, 1892: Homer A. Plessy was arrested and jailed for boarding a car of the East Louisiana Railroad that was designated for use by white patrons only
April 13, 1896: Homer A. Plessy v. Ferguson was argued in the Supreme Court of the United States
May 18, 1896: In a 7 to 1 decision the "separate but equal" provision of public accommodations by state governments was found to be constitutional under the Equal Protection
Clause.
Scenario
Plessy was arrested for sitting in a white train car.
He was only ⅛ black and ⅞ white. He argued that making him sit in a certain colored car violated his personal rights. He then took his issue to court. Plessy thought the states didn’t have the right to require people of different race to use separate but equal facilities.The court ruled in favor of
Ferguson because they said the states could require people of different race to use separate but equal facilities.
Photos and Paintings
The 1896-1897 Supreme Court
Original Document
In 1890 when louisiana law stated that the railroad had to make separate but equal train cars, the black community was outraged.
Homer Plessy took his case to court and it later went to the supreme court. This document shows proof of that supreme court case. This was an important case in US history because it determined what separate but equal meant and how the blacks would be treated after this. The case ended up being a unanimous 7 to 1 in favor of Ferguson. This allowed for the Jim Crow Laws and other civil rights violations against African Americans.
Definition of Terms
Homer Plessy- An African American man arrested for sitting in a white person car only.
John H. Ferguson- The judge of the Louisiana criminal court case.
Equal Protection Clause- A clause that took in effect in
1868 under the 14th amendment saying that no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= j-ScixTs9wM
Topic Video
Works Cited
Design, Zamore.”Separate Is Not Equal.”
Americanhistory.
Hello Design.Web.3 Nov. 2015
“Plessy v. Ferguson- Case Brief Summary.” Plessy v. Ferguson-
Case Brief Summary.
Lawnix
, 11 Aug. 2009 Web.3 Nov. 2015
Duignan, Brian. “Plessy v. Ferguson.”
Britannica
.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 May 2015. Web.4 Nov. 2015
Duignan, Brian. "Plessy v. Ferguson." Britannica . Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 May 2105. Web. 4 Nov. 2015.
