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14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment is passed, which includes the Equal Protection Clause. It states that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States" are citizens. This means that blacks are now guaranteed the same rights and protection of the laws. -
Civil Rights Act of 1875
The Civil Rights Act of 1875 is passed. It is now a crime to deny any person the enjoyment of public accommodations, regardless of color. -
Civil Rights Act Struck Down
In 1883, the Supreme Court declared the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional. It ruled that the 14th Amendment didn't give Congress the power to prevent discrimination by private individuals. -
Louisiana Passes Railroad Segregation
A law is passed in Louisiana that requires segregated railroad cars. -
Homer Plessy boards a train
Homer Plessy, who was 7/8 white, boarded an East Louisiana Railroad train and sat in a white compartment. Since he was 1/8 black, he was ordered to move to a black compartment. Plessy refused and was arrested. He was charged with violating state law. -
The District Court rules against Plessy
In the Criminal District Court for the Parish of Orleans, Plessy's lawyer argued that the law requiring “separate but equal accommodations” was unconstitutional. Judge John H. Ferguson ruled against Plessy -
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The Issue Regarding Plessy v. Ferguson
The main question in this case: was the law requiring separate but equal accommodations on railroads consistent with the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment? -
Plessy Appeals
Plessy appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court agreed with Ferguson and upheld the ruling. Justice Henry Brown said that the 14th Amendment was designed to create equality between the races, not get rid of segregation (the idea of separate but equal). -
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Effect on Americans
The decision of Plessy v. Ferguson enforced the mentality of Americans that "separate is equal." It wasn't until the 1950's that the decision of Plessy v. Ferguson was overturned with the case of Brown v. Board of Education.
