History of Race Relations Essay Example

slave owner did not go well with very many people especially the anti-slavery activists. Furthermore, Judge Taney sparked more controversy when he diced to clip the congresses’ powers of influencing laws beyond their “designated” territories. His bogus interpretation of the law poked holes into the Fifth Amendment because he classified slaves as the “property” of the slave owner and as such was free to take them anywhere they wanted.

The court decision made it necessary for the laws to be revised to categorically mention that slaves are not property.

Historical Significance of the Decision

After the Taney decision to favor the slave owner, anti-slavery protests erupted that were aimed at the court and the administration of the then President Buchanan because it purportedly supported the ruling. It further led to an eruption of violence between proslavery militias and the antislavery activists. In a large way, the case gave way to the initiation of the civil war era when it was revoked through the enactment of the thirteenth and the fourteenth amendments. The amendments subsequently led to the abolition of slavery and advancement of citizenship to every individual born in the United States regardless of their race and previous servitude condition.

Plessy V. Ferguson (1896)

Facts of the Case

Plessy was charged for violating a state law that inhibited individuals from boarding rail road cars that were designated to particular racial groups. In this case, he attempted to enter a rail road car that was designated all-white after being adamant about not wanting to board the black railway carriage car. Following these actions, he had violated a Louisiana state law that provided for “separate but equal” rail

road carriage accommodation for all racial groups. Plessy was arraigned in court in which she was subsequently found guilty by Judge John H. Ferguson for violating the laws thereof.

In a quick rejoinder, Plessy decided to file an appeal with the base reasons of black stigmatization. Considering that the state law was a violation of the thirteenth and fourteenth amendments, Plessy won the appeal.

Analysis of the Court Decision

The decision that Judge John H. Ferguson made was based on the prevailing statute in the state.

The judge made the assertion that the state police officers were in line to arrest Plessy because it was the norm in the state and every state citizen was bound by these traditions. The state statute does not contradict the thirteenth amendment that obliterated slavery and involuntary servitude. However, the amendment still did not provide sufficient rights cover for the former slaves. Therefore, it set precedence of the fourteenth amendment which was more robust and objective.

In the amendment, states were prohibited from enacting laws that would make any person born or naturalized in the United States feel less than the privileged white counter parts. However, it follows that there were certain laws even in states that had no racial segregation that encouraged the development of different amenities like schools for different races. Following this notion, Plessey lost the case.

The Legal Precedent Established by the Court Decision

The court’s decision led to a series of legal battles in which segregation become a hotly debated issue. It set precedence for different activism groups to question the viability of some laws in the constitution regarding segregation.

In the constitutions’ of some states, there were

laws that advocated for separate but equal school chances for blacks and whites children. Evidently, they were not equal in any way and as such it became an issue for the states. Therefore, race-based segregation was suddenly viewed as unconstitutional. The most significant advocating against racially segregated schools was the Brown V.

Board of Education case which saw the Plessy case overruled. The judge that preceded over the case, Justice Warren, explained that the court had unanimously come to the agreement that having racially segregated schools did not propagate equality in any way and as such the system needed to be abolished.

The Historical Significance of the Decision

For so many years since the advent of slavery, racial tensions had been inherent in the United States. Blacks and Whites cold does not share facilities as American citizens.

Different segregation laws had been enforced to ensure that blacks and whites had minimal contact. However, this particular case started what would become a healing intervention for the United States. The case led to the rethinking of the segregation laws and there subsequent obliteration from the constitution. The American social landscape started changing because of the case and schools started becoming all inclusive for every race type.

Therefore, in a way he case set the precedence for the development of a more socially accommodating America than there ever was in the past. Moreover, the states that had laws that encouraged segregation were also implored under the new law to accept integration and provide equal opportunities for all children regardless of their race.

Work Cited

1. Finkleman, Paul. Dred Scott vs. Sandford: A Brief History With Documents. Macmillan, 1997.
2. Ferguson, Plessy V.
   

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