Essay On Plessy Vs Ferguson

Unit One Essay Two landmark cases, one called “Plessy versus Ferguson” the other, “Brown versus Board of Education” changed the world. Around the 1850s, black people were treated as minorities and did not have the same rights as the whites. They had to go to separate schools and sit in different sections on busses or trains. Both cases were taken to the United States Supreme Court and was decided by the nine justices. Having this segregation caused fights, disagreements, and more cases brought into court because if race, but it was the start of a new world. The case of Plessy versus Ferguson started around the 1890s when the Separate Car Act statute was passed in Louisiana. This act stated that any companies carrying people in Louisiana must have separate but equal areas for the whites and blacks. Homer Plessy, in 1992, was one-eight black and purchased a ticket for first class and, sat in the white only area. He was then arrested for violating the new Separate Car Act and was taken to jail. Plessy argued that the Separate Car Act went against the thirteenth and fourteenth amendment of our constitution. Plessy’s case lost twice and was then taken to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court decided, seven to one decision, that they were in favor of

Both cases violated the fourteenth amendment to the constitution. The fourteenth amendment gives everyone equal protection of the law. Having to sit in separate sections on a train, and attend different schools to receive different educations violated this amendment. Racial segregation was all that was known at this point of time. Segregation was taught to the new generations of kids. What makes both of these cases significant to history is how it changed the way society thinks. It was said that they were not given “equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment” (Summary of the Decision, Landmark