Plessy v Ferguson

In class we had two groups who are arguing a precedent case to answer the two questions. Did fining him violate his 14th amendment right? Does a state law require the separate of race violate the 14th amendment?

Plessy is 1/8 African blood while he is also 7/8 white. Plessy bought a first class train ticket and boarded the train against the law. At this time all private railroads have separate but equal trains and carts.

Arguments on behalf of Plessy are all sins have equal weight, god created everyone equally, from the equal protection clause says that all citizens have the same rights and the same protection. Since Plessy does not classify as an African American than technically the Jim Crow laws to not apply to him because he doesn't classify as black nor white.

On the behalf of the state some of the arguments where that since the trains are separate but equal and he broke the Jim Crow Laws, if he does this and the court does not act to him breaking the law than more people will start to follow Plessy. In 1890 African Americans were separated by law, but everything is separate but equal. For the railroad regulations equal but separate does not enforce anything onto the black or whites but they just have different trains, each state has their own rights to enforce their own railroad conditions.

The decision ended up being in favor or the state and declared that Plessy was wrong.

If you want to learn more about the case click on one of the links below :)

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/antebellum/landmark_plessy.html

https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/163/537