What led to the Plessy v. Ferguson case? What did the Supreme Court rule? How did this impact the time period of segregation and African Americans?

Question

Needs to be at least 5-7 sentences.

Answer 1

The Plessy v. Ferguson case was the result of two occurrences in American History.

1.   The Creation of a climate for segregation by the U.S. Supreme Court

The United States Supreme Court overturned the Civil Rights Act of 1875 with the decision that the 14^th Amendment’s application of “equal protection under the law” was for “state governments” to abide by--- State Governments could NOT practice segregation. HOWEVER, private organizations, such as hotels, theaters, and railroads, were free to practice segregation.

2.   Based on the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1883, States began to pass legislation that allowed segregation by “private organizations”

The state of Louisiana in 1890 passed a law allowing railroads (private organizations) to practice segregation. African American, Homer Plessy, in 1892, challenged this law in the case Plessy v. Ferguson.

Result/Impact: The United States Supreme Court in 1896 in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson endorsed/upheld the Louisiana law based on the idea of separate facilities being equal facilities. Jim Crow laws (separate-but-equal laws) were authorized in all aspects of life for African Americans for more than fifty years