Plessy v. Ferguson

Plessy v. Ferguson, Supreme Court, 1896

Facts of the Case

In 1892, Homer Plessy, who was seven-eighths white and one-eighth black, deliberately violated Louisiana’s Separate Car Act, which mandated separate railway cars for whites and blacks. Plessy sat in a “whites-only” car and was arrested when he refused to move to a car designated for black passengers. Plessy argued that the law violated the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, which abolished slavery and guaranteed equal protection under the law, respectively.

Constitutional Question

Does the Separate Car Act violate the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, and the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law?

Arguments

For Plessy:

  • The Separate Car Act enforces racial segregation, which is a badge of slavery and thus violates the Thirteenth Amendment.
  • The law discriminates based on race and denies black citizens equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment.
  • Segregation laws create a sense of inferiority among black citizens and perpetuate racial inequality.

For Ferguson (the state of Louisiana):

  • The state has the authority to enact laws requiring racial segregation as a legitimate exercise of its police powers to promote public order and social harmony.
  • The law treats both races equally by providing separate but equal accommodations, thus not violating the Fourteenth Amendment.
  • Racial segregation is a long-standing practice and does not imply the inferiority of either race.

The Decision

The Supreme Court, in a 7-1 decision, ruled in favor of Ferguson. The majority opinion, written by Justice Henry Billings Brown, held that the Separate Car Act did not violate the Thirteenth or Fourteenth Amendments. The Court established the doctrine of “separate but equal,” stating that racial segregation was constitutional as long as the separate facilities provided for each race were equal. The Court concluded that the law was a reasonable exercise of the state’s police powers and did not imply the inferiority of black citizens.

Significance

Plessy v. Ferguson is a landmark case that legitimized state laws requiring racial segregation and established the “separate but equal” doctrine. This decision provided a legal basis for the widespread implementation of segregation laws across the United States, particularly in the South, and reinforced systemic racial discrimination and inequality. The “separate but equal” doctrine remained in place until it was overturned by the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which ruled that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal and unconstitutional. Plessy v. Ferguson had a profound and lasting impact on American society, entrenching racial segregation and inequality for decades.