Plessy Vs. Furguson Trial
Essay by Maxi • April 8, 2011 • Coursework • 297 Words (2 Pages) • 1,860 Views
In Plessy vs. Furguson, most of the Supreme Court supported "separate but equal". Congress believed that the law had been reasonable and was fortunately passed with "reference to the established usages, customs, and traditions of the people." (569) Congress also believed that the enforced law could not abolish racial inequalities or social equalities. In public freedom, the Supreme Court, compared to blacks, had lived splendid lives and did not suffer from racism. African Americans in this time had been viewed at as less than whites and because they had been viewed as less than, they had been treated differently. Whites did not want to mix society and they had always felt the need to separate from a race which they looked down upon. This eventually led to changes in public opinion. One change in public opinion is the opinion that ALL races should be promised with the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Another opinion is that we shall have a diverse environment and the way they created a diverse environment was by creating ethnic mixed education houses.
Tourgee was correct and I agree that Plessy was impoverished of his valuable property. Plessy was not full white but, he had been about 7/8 white. Plessy was not able to receive the luxuries that the other whites did or, he was not able to ride the train that was filled with the whites. This showed racism and unfairness to Plessy, who practically was a white man himself. Just because he was not full white and he was 7/8, he was treated as the African Americans were. In the court room, the majority of the people seemed to be racist because no matter what Tourgee had said or done, nothing was going to persuade the courts decision.
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