plessy v. ferguson supreme court case 1896 “ separate but equal ” power point created by...
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Late 1800’s after the Civil War Black Codes emerged in the South States Black Codes emerged in the South States –Designed by the South to limit legal rights of freed slaves. Laws against blacks for: Appearing in public places Sitting on juries voting Civil Rights Acts of 1866 & 1875 Civil Rights Acts of 1866 & 1875 –Designed by national government to overturn black codes and grant equal access to voting, juries, public accommodations in theaters, restaurants, and transportation. –Civil Rights Act of 1866 was first vetoed bill to get an override vote.TRANSCRIPT
Plessy v. FergusonPlessy v. FergusonSupreme Court Case 1896Supreme Court Case 1896
““Separate But EqualSeparate But Equal””Power point created by Robert L. MartinezPrimary Content: The Americans
Supreme Court Opinions
Opinion (Majority Opinion): The legal reasoning behind the court’s ruling on a case.
Dissenting Opinion: Statement by the Justices who disagreed with the majority.
Concurring Opinion: Statement by the Justices who agreed with the majority, but for a different reason than the Majority.
Late 1800’s after the Civil Late 1800’s after the Civil WarWar
Black Codes Black Codes emerged in the South Statesemerged in the South States– Designed by the South to limit legal rights of Designed by the South to limit legal rights of
freed slaves. Laws against blacks for:freed slaves. Laws against blacks for: Appearing in public placesAppearing in public places Sitting on juriesSitting on juries votingvoting
Civil Rights Acts of 1866 & 1875Civil Rights Acts of 1866 & 1875– Designed by national government to Designed by national government to
overturn black codes and grant equal overturn black codes and grant equal access to voting, juries, public access to voting, juries, public accommodations in theaters, restaurants, accommodations in theaters, restaurants, and transportation.and transportation.
– Civil Rights Act of 1866 was first vetoed Civil Rights Act of 1866 was first vetoed bill to get an override vote. bill to get an override vote.
Weakening Federal Power in Weakening Federal Power in SouthSouth
18771877– Federal occupation of South endedFederal occupation of South ended– Federal troops no longer there to enforce Federal troops no longer there to enforce
protection of freed slavesprotection of freed slaves– States quickly started to limit African States quickly started to limit African
Americans’ access to votingAmericans’ access to voting– Jim Crow lawsJim Crow laws which separated races in which separated races in
public and private establishments and were public and private establishments and were created by southern states began to be created by southern states began to be upheld by federal courtsupheld by federal courts
Civil Rights Cases 1883Civil Rights Cases 1883
5 cases involving violations of Civil Rights 5 cases involving violations of Civil Rights Act of 1875 in public accommodationsAct of 1875 in public accommodations
Supreme Court Ruling:Supreme Court Ruling: US Congress could only prohibit local US Congress could only prohibit local and state governments from and state governments from discrimination, not privately held discrimination, not privately held companies including theaters, rest. etc. companies including theaters, rest. etc. This severely limited the influence of This severely limited the influence of first Civil Rights Act of 1866 as well as first Civil Rights Act of 1866 as well as the intent of the 13-15 amendments.the intent of the 13-15 amendments.
In 1892, Homer Plessy took a In 1892, Homer Plessy took a seat in the “whites only” car of a seat in the “whites only” car of a
train and refused to move. He train and refused to move. He was arrested, and convicted for was arrested, and convicted for
breaking Louisiana’s segregation breaking Louisiana’s segregation law.law.
Plessy appealed, claiming that he had Plessy appealed, claiming that he had been denied equal protection under the been denied equal protection under the law. The Supreme Court handed down law. The Supreme Court handed down
its decision on May 18, 1896.its decision on May 18, 1896.
Homer Plessy
The Supreme Court ruled that The Supreme Court ruled that separate-but-equal facilities for separate-but-equal facilities for blacks and whites did not violate blacks and whites did not violate
the Constitution.the Constitution.
Miami, Florida
Plessy claimed that segregation Plessy claimed that segregation violated his right to equal violated his right to equal protection under the law. protection under the law.
Homer Plessy
Supreme Court Justice Henry B. Supreme Court Justice Henry B. Brown ruledBrown ruled, , “the object of the 14“the object of the 14thth amendment … could not have been amendment … could not have been
intended to abolish distinctions intended to abolish distinctions based upon color… or a based upon color… or a
commingling of the two races.”commingling of the two races.”
Justice John Marshall Harlan dissented Justice John Marshall Harlan dissented from the majority opinion,from the majority opinion, “In respect “In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law…the seeds of race before the law…the seeds of race hate…planted under the sanction hate…planted under the sanction of law…the thin disguise of ‘equal’ of law…the thin disguise of ‘equal’ accommodations…will not mislead accommodations…will not mislead anyone, nor atone for the wrong anyone, nor atone for the wrong this day done.”this day done.”
In the decades following the Civil In the decades following the Civil War, Southern states passed laws War, Southern states passed laws that aimed to limit civil rights for that aimed to limit civil rights for
African Americans.African Americans.
The Black codes of the 1860s, and The Black codes of the 1860s, and later Jim Crow laws, were intended later Jim Crow laws, were intended to deny African Americans of their to deny African Americans of their
newly won political and social rights newly won political and social rights granted during Reconstruction.granted during Reconstruction.
PlessyPlessy was one of several Supreme was one of several Supreme Court cases brought by African Court cases brought by African
Americans to protect their rights Americans to protect their rights against discrimination.against discrimination.
In these cases, the Supreme Court In these cases, the Supreme Court regularly ignored the 14regularly ignored the 14thth
Amendment and upheld state laws Amendment and upheld state laws that denied blacks their rights.that denied blacks their rights.
PlessyPlessy was the most important of was the most important of these cases because the Supreme these cases because the Supreme
Court used it to establish the Court used it to establish the separate-but-equal doctrine.separate-but-equal doctrine.
As a result, city and state As a result, city and state governments across the South, and governments across the South, and in some other states, maintained in some other states, maintained their segregation laws for more their segregation laws for more
than half of the 20than half of the 20thth century. century.
These laws limited African These laws limited African Americans’ access to most public Americans’ access to most public facilities, including restaurants, facilities, including restaurants,
schools, and hospitals.schools, and hospitals.
Signs reading “Colored Only” and Signs reading “Colored Only” and “Whites Only” served as constant “Whites Only” served as constant
reminders that facilities in reminders that facilities in segregated societies were separate segregated societies were separate
but but not not equal.equal.
It took many decades to abolish It took many decades to abolish legal segregation. During the first legal segregation. During the first half of the 20half of the 20thth century, the National century, the National Association for the Advancement of Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) led the Colored People (NAACP) led the legal fight to overturn legal fight to overturn PlessyPlessy..
It was not until 1954 in It was not until 1954 in Brown v. Brown v. Board of EducationBoard of Education that the that the
Supreme Court overturned any part Supreme Court overturned any part of of PlessyPlessy..
Brown v. Board of Education
U.S. Supreme Court (1954)
Background In Topeka, Kansas, a black 3rd grader named
Linda Brown had to walk one mile through a Railroad switchyard to get to her elementary school. There was a white elementary school only 7 blocks away.
She was turned down for enrollment in the white school. Brown’s father went to McKinley Burnett, head of Topeka’s branch of the NAACP. (National Association of the Advancement of Colored People). He agreed to help, he felt that they had the “right plaintiff at the right time”.
Segregation in Schools, 1954
How were schools different? Textbooks
– White Schools received the new books– Black Schools received the books the white
schools no longer needed (hand-me-downs); black students also had to share textbooks since there were more black students per class
Teachers– White teachers received more pay than the
black teachers. Buildings
– White schools were in better shape than black schools
How were schools different?Moton High School, Appomattox, Virginia.
All Black School
Farmville High School, Appomattox, Virginia.
All White School
Appeals Court Arguments The Board of Education’s defense was that
segregation in the schools would prepare them for segregation in adulthood. They argued that segregated schools were not detrimental. They used examples such as Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, and George Washington Carver.
On one hand the Appeals Court judges agreed with the plaintiff, but on the other hand Plessy v. Ferguson set a legal a precedent.
Appeals Court Ruling? They ruled in favor of the Board of
Education. The court cited the precedent of
Plessy v. Ferguson as the main reason.
The Plaintiffs Appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Supreme Court
Arguments The NAACP lawyer
who argued the case, Thurgood Marshall, is seen on the right.
Main argument: That separate school systems for blacks and whites were inherently unequal, and thus violate the "equal protection clause" of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Ruling In a unanimous vote, 9-0:
"We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. . ."
Results American schools desegregated.
Most did so peacefully, but other areas had major violence (especially in the south).
Some states even dragged their feet. Integration wasn’t completed, totally, until 1970’s
Remember Thurgood Marshall?
He became the first African-American Justice on the Supreme Court (1967).
He argued a total of 32 cases in front of the Supreme Court.
He won 29 of them.