Plessy v. Ferguson

Definition

Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld the doctrine of 'separate but equal' racial segregation laws. The case challenged the constitutionality of a Louisiana law that required separate railway cars for Black and white passengers, despite being of equal quality.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Plessy v. Ferguson case was brought by Homer Plessy, a man of mixed-race ancestry who was arrested for refusing to leave a whites-only railway car in Louisiana.
2. The Supreme Court ruled 7-1 that the Louisiana law did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the law, as long as the separate facilities were equal in quality.
3. The Plessy v. Ferguson decision entrenched the 'separate but equal' doctrine, which justified racial segregation in public facilities like schools, transportation, and accommodations for nearly 60 years.
4. The Plessy v. Ferguson ruling effectively overturned the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which had prohibited discrimination in public accommodations.
5. The Plessy v. Ferguson decision was a major setback for the civil rights movement, as it legitimized the system of Jim Crow segregation that persisted in the American South.

Review Questions

• Explain how the Plessy v. Ferguson decision was a significant setback for the civil rights movement.
  • The Plessy v. Ferguson decision was a major setback for the civil rights movement because it upheld the doctrine of 'separate but equal,' which allowed for the continuation of racial segregation in public facilities. This decision effectively overturned the Civil Rights Act of 1875 and entrenched the system of Jim Crow laws in the American South, denying African Americans equal rights and opportunities for decades to come. The Plessy v. Ferguson ruling was a major legal victory for proponents of racial segregation and a significant blow to the efforts of civil rights activists to achieve true equality under the law.
• Describe the key facts and circumstances surrounding the Plessy v. Ferguson case.
  • The Plessy v. Ferguson case was brought by Homer Plessy, a man of mixed-race ancestry who was arrested for refusing to leave a whites-only railway car in Louisiana. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled 7-1 that the Louisiana law requiring separate but equal railway cars for Black and white passengers did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the law. This decision effectively entrenched the 'separate but equal' doctrine, which justified racial segregation in public facilities for nearly 60 years until it was overturned by the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954.
• Analyze the long-term impact of the Plessy v. Ferguson decision on the civil rights movement and the fight for racial equality in the United States.
  • The Plessy v. Ferguson decision had a profoundly negative and long-lasting impact on the civil rights movement and the fight for racial equality in the United States. By upholding the 'separate but equal' doctrine, the Supreme Court legitimized the system of Jim Crow segregation that denied African Americans equal rights and opportunities for decades. This decision was a major setback for the civil rights movement, as it entrenched racial discrimination in public facilities and institutions, including schools, transportation, and accommodations. The Plessy v. Ferguson ruling effectively overturned the Civil Rights Act of 1875 and paved the way for the proliferation of racist 'separate but equal' laws throughout the South, which persisted until the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 finally overturned the Plessy precedent. The long-term impact of Plessy v. Ferguson was to prolong and exacerbate the systemic oppression of African Americans, delaying the achievement of true racial equality in the United States.

Related terms

Separate but Equal: The legal doctrine established by the Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson that allowed racial segregation as long as the facilities provided to different races were ostensibly equal.

Fourteenth Amendment:

The amendment to the U.S. Constitution that granted citizenship and equal rights under the law to all persons born in the United States, including former slaves.

Civil Rights Act of 1875: A federal law that prohibited discrimination in public accommodations, but was later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the Plessy v. Ferguson decision.