Question

what were the background and circumstances of plessy v ferguson

Answer 1

Plessy v. Ferguson - Black History - HISTORY.com
www.history.com/topics/black-history/plessy-v-ferguson
History
Rejecting Plessy's argument that his constitutional rights were violated, the Court ... Restrictive legislation based on race continued following the Plessy decision,

Answer 2

In 1890 Louisiana passed a law that required separate accommodations for Blacks and Whites on the trains. It did require that the accommodations be "Equal".

A group of concerned white and black citizens hired a detective and had Homer Plessy board a "White Only" railroad car. Plessy was a very light skinned black. This allowed him to purchase a ticket on the "White Only" car. There he was to announce that he was one eighth negro. The detective was to insure that Plessy was arrested for violation of the "Separate Car Act", and not vagrancy. That would allow the court case that followed to challenge the "Separate Car Act".

Plessy was arrested and the "Separate Car Act" was challenged in court. Eventually the Supreme Cort of the United States upheld the law. In 1896, Plessy plead guilty and paid a fine.

The incident itself happened in 1892 and in 1896 the US Supreme Court made "separate but equal" the law of the land. This was reversed by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

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