Plessy v. Ferguson

Definition

Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the doctrine of 'separate but equal.' This ruling legitimized racial discrimination and established a legal basis for segregation, particularly in public facilities, contributing to systemic inequalities that fueled the struggle for civil rights and shaped the trajectory of the African American civil rights movement.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The case stemmed from an incident in 1892 where Homer Plessy, a mixed-race man, was arrested for sitting in a 'whites-only' car on a Louisiana train.
2. The Supreme Court's ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson was delivered by Justice Henry Billings Brown, with dissent from Justice John Marshall Harlan, who argued against the majority's decision.
3. The decision established the legal foundation for Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States for decades.
4. Plessy v. Ferguson remained the law of the land until it was effectively overturned by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which ruled that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.
5. The ruling reflected and reinforced societal norms of racial hierarchy, contributing to widespread discrimination and disenfranchisement of African Americans.

Review Questions

• How did Plessy v. Ferguson establish the 'separate but equal' doctrine, and what were its implications for racial discrimination?
  • Plessy v. Ferguson established the 'separate but equal' doctrine by asserting that racial segregation was permissible as long as facilities provided to both races were deemed equal. This ruling legitimized systemic racial discrimination across various public domains, including transportation and education. The implication of this decision was profound, as it provided a legal shield for discriminatory practices and entrenched segregation in American society for years to come.
• Discuss how Plessy v. Ferguson impacted the African American civil rights movement in the 20th century.
  • Plessy v. Ferguson had a significant impact on the African American civil rights movement as it solidified legal justification for segregation and discrimination. This ruling galvanized activists who sought to challenge the status quo of racial inequality. The discontent over systemic oppression led to organized efforts aimed at overturning such unjust laws, eventually culminating in key legal victories and legislative changes during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
• Evaluate how Plessy v. Ferguson relates to the Fourteenth Amendment and analyze its long-term effects on education discrimination.
  • Plessy v. Ferguson directly challenged interpretations of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, as it allowed for segregated facilities despite claims of equality. The long-term effects of this ruling on education discrimination were profound, perpetuating systems that denied African American children equal educational opportunities for decades. It wasn't until later cases like Brown v. Board of Education that these principles were re-evaluated, illustrating an ongoing struggle to fulfill the promises of equality embedded in the Fourteenth Amendment.

Related terms

Separate but Equal: A legal doctrine that justified and upheld racial segregation, stating that separate facilities for different races were constitutional as long as they were equal.

Civil Rights Movement: A social movement in the United States aimed at ending racial discrimination and gaining equal rights for African Americans, gaining significant momentum in the 1950s and 1960s.

Fourteenth Amendment:

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified in 1868 that grants citizenship and equal protection under the law, which became central to arguments against racial discrimination.