Period 6
Ashley
Jamie
Dylan
Plessy vs. Ferguson
1896
Name of the Case: Plessy v Ferguson
Year of the Case: 1896
Appellant (Plaintiff): Homer Plessy
Appellee (Defendant): John Ferguson, DA for Louisiana
Facts of the Case: He was ⅛ black. Plessy boarded an “all white” train and was asked to get off. He then
refused and was arrested by a detective. Created separate but equal view of society for over 50 years.
Gave US. citizens a “constitutional nod” to segregation
Decision of the Lower Court: Lower court of Louisiana decided that he broke the law of separate trains
created in 1890
Legal Aspects of the Case:
Disputes over constitutionality of the law about separate trains for whites and blacks
Decision of the Supreme Court: Upheld lower court decision 7 to 1. Court rejected Plessy's arguments
based on the Fourteenth amendment, arguing that Louisiana violated the law. The majority of the court
said that the law publicly separated blacks and whites. Argued that this case had nothing to do with
slavery (13th amendment). This case says that the citizens are separate but equal.
Loose or strict interpretation of Constitution:
The Rule of Precedent: blacks and whites can be separate so long as equal.