What were the circumstances of Plessy v. Ferguson?

Answer 1

Plessy v. Ferguson was an 1896 decision by the US Supreme Court that confirmed the principle of "Separate but Equal" and minority segregation.

The case began in Louisiana in 1892. Homer Plessy agreed to be arrested to test the 1890 law establishing "whites only" train cars. Although he himself was one-eighth black and seven-eighths white, he was still legally required to sit in the "colored" car of the train.

The judge at the trial was John Howard Ferguson, a lawyer from Massachusetts who had previously declared the Separate Car Act "unconstitutional on trains that traveled through several states." In Plessy's case, however, he decided that the state could choose to regulate railroad companies that operated only within Louisiana. He found Plessy guilty of refusing to leave the white car. Plessy appealed to the Supreme Court of Louisiana, which upheld Ferguson's decision.

In 1896, the Supreme Court of the United States heard Plessy's case and found the law constitutional. Plessy paid the fine for the offense, but the case renewed black opposition to such laws.

The Plessy decision set the precedent that "separate" facilities for blacks and whites were constitutional as long as they were "equal" (which was seldom the case). The "separate but equal" doctrine had already been extended to cover many areas of public life, such as restaurants, theaters, restrooms, and public schools. Not until 1954, in the equally important Brown v. Board of Education decision, would the "separate but equal" doctrine be struck down.

Answer 2

In 1890 Louisiana passed a law that required separate accommodations for Blacks and Whites on the trains. It did require that the accommodations be "Equal".

A group of concerned white and black citizens hired a detective and had Homer Plessy board a "White Only" railroad car. Plessy was a very light skinned black. This allowed him to purchase a ticket on the "White Only" car. There he was to announce that he was one eighth negro. The detective was to insure that Plessy was arrested for violation of the "Separate Car Act", and not vagrancy. That would allow the court case that followed to challenge the "Separate Car Act".

Plessy was arrested and the "Separate Car Act" was challenged in court. Eventually the Supreme Cort of the United States upheld the law. In 1896, Plessy plead guilty and paid a fine.

The incident itself happened in 1892 and in 1896 the US Supreme Court made "separate but equal" the law of the land. This was reversed by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

The case citation is Plessy v. Ferguson,163 US 537 (1896)

Answer 3

The court ruled that segregation of public facilities by race did not violate the US Constitution.

Plessy v. Ferguson, (1896), was the landmark US Supreme Court case that legalized discrimination against African-Americans and gave credence to the "separate but equal" doctrine.

It was overruled by cases in the 1950s and 1960s, notably Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

Answer 4

Plessy Vs. Fergison made it to where the blacks in whites were so called "seperate but equal" so their schools had to be in the same conditions etc.

Answer 5

It legalized separate but equal.