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Plessy V. Ferguson Case Study

496 Words2 Pages

Plessy v. Ferguson case was a racial incident that happened in 1892 and the court date was set on 1896. Plessy fought his battle, but the odds were against him. Plessy v. Ferguson case was a landmark case which had an impact on the segregation law “separate but equal.” It changed the daily lives of African American beings during the 1900’s.
The case was looked into as a racial matter of discrimination for Plessy being an African American. Plessy was arrested for violating an 1890 Louisiana statute that provided for segregated “separate but equal” railroad accommodations. African American man mistreated, it is true a broke a state law, but the situation could have been treated more maturely, and professionally. Police and citizens should not have discriminate Homer Plessy for being an African American. Rejecting Plessy’s argument that his constitutional rights were violated, the Court ruled that a state law that “implies merely a legal distinction” between whites and blacks did not conflict with the 13th and14th Amendments. (Plessy v Ferguson case - History.com) Race or color should not determine the way you treat someone, everyone should be treated equivalent. Plessy stood up for what's right for African American people.

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Board of Education of Topeka in 1954. The court found for Ferguson and the Supreme Court granted cert. The board was drawing in the case, winning each representative one at a time. Upon the filing of this petition, an order was issued upon the respondent to show cause why a writ of prohibition should not issue and be made perpetual, and a further order that the record of the proceedings had in the criminal cause be certified and transmitted to the Supreme Court. The respondent, John Ferguson, is leaning away from Plessy. Plessy is losing the fight, making the ruling

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This case went to the Supreme Court, where Plessy lost and the doctrine “separate but equal” was adopted (Document 10). This disproved the 14th Amendment, which states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws” (Document 2). This amendment grants citizenship and equal protection of innate rights and protection under the court of law, in simple terms. Plessy was denied fair trial due to the fact that he was of African descent.

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