Group 3:1850-1899

Dred Scott Decision, Emancipation Proclamation, Early Ku Klux Klan:

Strengthening of African American rights, and Plessy vs. Fergusen

Breaking News of 1850-1899

• This time period begins with the Supreme Court ruling that African Americans were not American citizens, and never will be…

• Next, the Emancipation Proclamation declares that all African Americans are free citizens and can vote.

• The violent Ku Klux Klan forces the government to strengthen African American rights with the Force Bill

• Although African Americans had political rights, the Plessy vs. Fergusen case said that African Americans could not use public accommodations designated for whites.

Ku Klux Klan

White Hoods: A Faceless Organization against Freedom

By: Liam McFadden

The Beginnings• The Ku Klux Klan began as a peaceful social group, created for the sole purpose of amusement.

• The name “Ku Klux” came from the Greek word “kuklos”, meaning circle.

• The Klan enjoyed playing pranks on African Americans, who believed they were ghosts.

Donned in white robes, the Klan could easily commit pranks, while hiding their identity.

The Klan Takes a Violent Turn

• When other Southerners heard of the Klan, they began to join.

• More and more Ex-confederates were being accepted into the Ku Klux Klan.

• As the Klan population grew, hateful confederates could not resist the temptation to commit horrendous crimes under their costumes.

• In the three months before the 1866 election, over 200 people, including U.S. Congressmen were killed.

The Federal Government Takes Action

• Local law enforcement was unable, and unwilling, to stop the Klan.

• The government passed many laws and acts, completely securing the rights of the Ku Klux Klan victims.

• Skillful prosecutors convicted Klansmen.

• Although very few Klansmen were persecuted, the early Ku Klux Klan withered away.

The Future without the Klan

• Most obviously, thousands of innocent victims would not have been killed if the Klan never existed.

• The Ku Klux Klan today would not have existed, also saving innocent lives.

• The federal government would have never been forced to defend African American’s rights.

PLESSY VS. FERGUSON CASE1892 June 7th

The first “sit-in” Homer Adolph Plessy had

only one African American ancestor.

Plessy bought a train ticket and sat in the white section

Plessy told the conductor, JJ Dowling that he is a colored man.

JJ Dowling asked him to go sit in the colored section, but Plessy refused.

Court Case Plessy’s case was carried

all the way to the supreme court

Plessy was charged for “ remaining in a compartment of a coach by which he didn’t not belong to. A compartment coach assigned to passengers of the white race”

Tourgee Albion W. Tourgee was one of

Plessy’s lawyers Tourgee argued that Plessy

was denied his equal protection rights under the Fourteenth and thirteenth amendment.

8 out of 9 justices were unconvinced by Tourgee’s arguments

The court said neither the 14th and 13th amendment applied to this case

John Marshall Harlan Change the way

the court saw things, he said the supreme court was “color blind”

John Marshal Harlan said that while the law says black and whites are equal, every one knows that colored man aren't equal to whites.

The Decision The court concluded

that Plessy would serve 50 years, for racial segregation.

Thank You For Watching!

All in all, the 1850s-1899 was a time of great change regarding African American rights. In the 1850s there was no hope of freedom, but by the late 1800s slaves had gained their freedom.