may 18, 1896 - Plessy v Ferguson
Description:
1. What is it?
The decision of the Supreme Court was that racially segregated facilities were constitutional as long as they had equal quality ("separate but equal").
2. When did it happen?
May 18th, 1896
3. Who was involved?
- Homer Plessy- a man who was 1/8 African descent (but was classified as black in Louisiana), he was convinced to buy a ticket and sit in the "whites only" section of a train as part of a test case.
- John M. Harlan- He was the only Supreme Court justice to dissent to the "separate but equal" opinion.
4. Where did it happen?
Plessy practiced civil disobedience and was arrested in Louisiana.
5. One major cause
In 1890, the Separate Car Act was created in Louisiana. This required that there be separate train cars and accommodations for blacks and whites. An organization of people from New Orleans who were against the act decided that they had to do something, so they convinced Plessy to help.
6. One major effect
This decision not only allowed current segregation to continue, but also motivated states to create more segregation laws. Progress that had been made in civil rights legislation during the Reconstruction Era was basically destroyed due to the Court's "separate but equal" ruling.
Added to timeline:
Civil Rights Timeline
Date:
