Plessy v. Ferguson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Plessy v. Ferguson |
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| Argued April 13, 1896 Decided May 18, 1896 |
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| Full case name | Homer A. Plessy v. John H. Ferguson |
| Citations | 163 U.S. 537 (more) |
| Prior history | Ex parte Plessy, 11 So. 948 (La. 1892) |
| Subsequent history | None |
| Holding | |
| Louisiana's law requiring segregation is constitutional under the 14th Amendment, as long as both races have "separate but equal" facilities | |
| Court membership | |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Brown, joined by Fuller, Field, Gray, Shiras, White, Peckham |
| Dissent | Harlan |
| Brewer took no part in the consideration or decision of the case. | |
| Laws applied | |
| Fourteenth Amendment; 1890 La. Acts 152 | |
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Overruled by
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| Brown v. Board of Education 347 U.S. 483 (1954) (partially overruled) | |
Plessy v. Ferguson was a very important case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1896. The Court ruled that segregation was legal. This meant that different races could be kept separate. However, the Court said that facilities for different races had to be "separate but equal."
The decision was made by a vote of 7 to 1. Justice Henry Billings Brown wrote the main opinion for the majority. Justice John Marshall Harlan wrote the opinion for the minority, disagreeing with the decision. Later, in 1954, another case called Brown v. Board of Education partly changed the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling.
Contents
What Happened in the Case?
The state of Louisiana passed a law. This law said that white and black people had to ride in separate train cars. But it also said that these train cars had to be "equal."
Homer Plessy was a man who was one-eighth black. This means one of his great-grandparents was black. He was arrested for sitting in a train car meant only for white people. Plessy argued that the Louisiana law went against the U.S. Constitution. He felt it denied his rights under the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments.
The Supreme Court's Decision
The Supreme Court decided that the Louisiana law was valid. They ruled that making white and black people ride in separate trains did not harm black people. This was a 7-1 decision.
Justice John Marshall Harlan was the only justice who disagreed. He believed the law was against the Constitution. He thought segregation made black people feel less important. He famously said that the Constitution is "color blind." This meant the law should treat all groups equally.
After the Ruling
After the Supreme Court's decision, Homer Plessy's case went back to a court in Louisiana. On February 11, 1897, Plessy pleaded "guilty" to breaking the Separate Car Act. He had to pay a $25 fine.
How the Ruling Changed America
The Plessy ruling made "racial" segregation legal in the South. It also encouraged more laws that separated people by race. This included laws in the North, like in Boston schools.
The "separate but equal" idea became very strong. It undid many good changes made during the Reconstruction Era. The ruling basically allowed states to create separate institutions for different races. They only had to make sure these places were "equal." However, in reality, facilities for black people were often much worse.
Brown v. Board of Education and Plessy
In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court made a new ruling. This ruling made it illegal to have separate schools for different races. Chief Justice Earl Warren stated that "separate facilities are [always] unequal."
However, the Brown ruling only made school segregation illegal. It did not make segregation illegal in other places. This means Brown overturned part of Plessy v. Ferguson. It made school segregation illegal, but it did not overturn the entire law.
Related Pages
Images for kids
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Justice Henry Billings Brown, who wrote the main opinion in Plessy
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John Marshall Harlan became known as the "Great Dissenter" for his strong disagreement in Plessy and other civil rights cases.
See also
In Spanish: Caso Plessy contra Ferguson para niños
