who was homer plessys lawyer 1896

Who was Homer Plessy?

Born on March 17, 1862, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Homer Plessy was a shoemaker whose one act of civil disobedience helped inspire future generations of the Civil Rights Movement. He challenged Louisiana segregation legislation by refusing to move from a "whites only" railcar in 1896.

Why did Homer Plessy get arrested in Louisiana?

Front of the marker placed Feb. 12, 2009, commemorating the planned arrest of Homer Plessy June 17, 1892, for violating the Louisiana 1890 Separate Car Act.

What happened to Thomas Plessy in 1892?

Plessy’s arrest. On June 7, 1892, Plessy walked into the Press Street Depot in New Orleans, bought a first-class ticket to Covington, and boarded the East Louisiana Railroad’s Number 8 train, fully expecting to be forced off the train or arrested—or both.

Where is Homer Plessy buried?

Homer Plessy. Jump to navigation Jump to search. Bronze plaque on the side of the Plessy tomb in New Orleans, Louisiana. Homer Adolph Plessy (March 17, 1862 – March 1, 1925) was a Louisiana French-speaking Creole plaintiff in the United States Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson.

Who was the lawyer for Plessy v. Ferguson?

Ferguson was represented by Louisiana Attorney General M.J. Cunningham and Plessy by F.D. McKenney and S.F. Phillips. On April 13, 1896, Plessy's lawyers argued before the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., that Louisiana had violated Plessy's Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection under the law.

What did the lawyers for Plessy argue?

At trial, Plessy's lawyers argued that the Separate Car Act violated the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments. The judge found that Louisiana could enforce this law insofar as it affected railroads within its boundaries. Plessy was convicted.

How did they know Plessy was black?

Plessy had one African great grandmother. All the rest of his family was white. He looked white. When he boarded the "whites only" railroad car and handed his ticket to the conductor, Plessy had to tell the conductor that he was one eighth black.

How was Plessy punished?

Ferguson, which upheld racial segregation for 62 years. Plessy was charged with violating the state's controversial Separate Car Act, which mandated separate rail cars for black and white travelers. His court-ordered punishment? A $25 fine or 20 days in jail.

What were the arguments from the petitioner in Plessy v. Ferguson?

Arguments. For Plessy: Segregated facilities violate the Equal Protection Clause. As a fully participating citizen, Plessy should not have been denied any rights of citizenship. He should not have been required to give up any public right or access.

Why did the Court reject Plessy's 14th Amendment argument?

The Supreme Court rejected Plessy's assertion that the law left African Americans "with a badge of inferiority" and argued that if this were the case, it was because the race put it upon itself. As long as separate facilities were equal, they did not violate the 14th Amendment.

What did Plessy v. Ferguson establish?

The Plessy v. Ferguson decision upheld the principle of racial segregation over the next half-century. The ruling provided legal justification for segregation on trains and buses, and in public facilities such as hotels, theaters, and schools.

What Court case overturned Plessy versus Ferguson?

The decision of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka on May 17, 1954 is perhaps the most famous of all Supreme Court cases, as it started the process ending segregation. It overturned the equally far-reaching decision of Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896.

Who is Homer Plessy?

Homer Plessy is best known as the plaintiff in Plessy v. Ferguson, a landmark court case challenging southern-based segregation.

What was Homer Plessy's background?

His family could pass for white and were considered "free people of color." Plessy thought of himself as 1/8 Black since his great-grandmother was from Africa. As a young man, Plessy worked as a shoemaker, and at age 25, he married Lousie Bordnave. Taking up social activism, in 1887, Plessy served as vice president of the Justice, Protective, Educational and Social Club to reform New Orleans' public education system.

What was Homer Plessy's 14th amendment?

Board of Education, which overruled the separate-but-equal doctrine. Plessy's legacy has also been recognized in the establishment of "Homer A. Plessy Day" in New Orleans, with a park named in his honor as well.

What did Plessy do in 1887?

Taking up social activism, in 1887, Plessy served as vice president of the Justice, Protective, Educational and Social Club to reform New Orleans' public education system. 'Plessy v. Ferguson'.

What was the name of the court case that was fought in 1896?

Ferguson. With Judge John Howard Ferguson presiding, Plessy was found guilty, but the case went on to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1896.

What was Plessy's legacy?

Legacy and Death. Afterward, Plessy returned to everyday family life, working as an insurance salesman. He passed away on March 1, 1925, at age 62. Despite the legal defeat, this activist had a major impact on the Civil Rights Movement.

Who challenged the law of the first class ticket?

The 30-year-old Plessy challenged this legislation on behalf of a group called the Citizens' Committee. In 1892, he purchased a first-class ticket on the East Louisiana Railroad and sat in the "whites only" section. He then stated to the conductor he was 1/8 Black and refused to remove himself from the car.

Who was Homer Plessy?

Homer Plessy was a free person of color born to a family that came to America free from Haiti and France.

Where did Homer Plessy live?

In 1889, the Plessys moved to Faubourg Tremé at 1108 North Claiborne Avenue. He registered to vote in the Sixth Ward 's Third Precinct. At age thirty, shoemaker Homer Plessy was younger than most members of the Comité des Citoyens.

What happened to Plessy after the Supreme Court case?

After the Supreme Court case. After the Supreme Court ruling, Plessy went back into relative anonymity. He fathered children, continued to participate in the religious and social life of his community, and later sold and collected insurance premiums for the People's Life Insurance Company.

What is Homère Plessy's middle name?

Homère Plessy's middle name would later appear as Adolphe after his father, a carpenter, on his birth certificate. Plessy belonged to Louisiana's French-speaking Creole subgroup, which American society did not understand or accept. Plessy grew up speaking French. Adolphe Plessy died when Homère was seven years old.

Why did Plessy oppose the railroad?

To pose a clear test, the Citizens’ Committee gave notice of Plessy’s intent to the railroad, which opposed the law because it required adding more cars to its trains. On June 7, 1892, Plessy bought a first-class ticket on a train from New Orleans and sat in the car for white riders only.

Where is the Plessy statue?

Bronze plaque on the side of the Plessy tomb in New Orleans, Louisiana . Homer Adolph Plessy, or Homère Adolphe Plessy (March 17, 1862 – March 1, 1925), was a French-speaking Creole from Louisiana, best known for being the plaintiff in the United States Supreme Court decision Plessy v. Ferguson .

What was the purpose of Plessy's stepfather?

When Plessy was a young boy, his stepfather was a signatory to the 1873 Unification Movement—an effort to establish principles of equality in Louisiana. As a young man, Plessy displayed a social awareness and served as vice president of an 1880s educational-reform group.

Who was Homer Plessy?

Homer Plessy was a French-speaking American person of color from the state of Louisiana who was the plaintiff in the United States Supreme Court decision in 'Plessy v. Ferguson'.

What group did Homer Plessy belong to?

Homer Plessy was a member of the Comité des Citoyens, a group consisting of African-Americans, whites, and Creoles that advocated equal civil rights to all races. The group was against the Separate Car Act of 1890 that required train companies to accommodate blacks and whites in 'equal but separate' cars.

How old was Homer Plessy when he married Louise Bordenave?

In 1888, 25-year-old Homer Plessy married 19-year-old Louise Bordenave at a ceremony officiated by Father Joseph Subileau at St. Augustine Church at 1210 Gov. Nicholls Street in New Orleans, with his employer Brito as witness. The next year, he settled with his family in the Faubourg Tremé neighborhood and was registered to vote in ...

What was the Plessy ruling?

The Plessy ruling legalized racial segregation by the states and marked a dark chapter during the reconstruction era by perpetuating separate school systems for the next half century. The ruling was eventually reversed following the Supreme Court's 1954 decision in 'Brown v.

What court did Plessy petition for?

Plessy had successfully petitioned for a writ of prohibition to the Louisiana State Supreme Court against the ruling by judge Ferguson. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court of Louisiana upheld Ferguson's ruling citing a number of precedents, particularly one by the Massachusetts Supreme Court that stated segregated schools were constitutional.

Where did Plessy work?

Following his stepfather, Plessy worked as a shoemaker at Patricio Brito's shoe-making business on Dumaine Street near North Rampart during the 1880s. He was also influenced by his stepfather's involvement as a signatory in the 1873 Unification Movement that attempted to establish principles of equality in Louisiana.

What did Plessy do in 1892?

In 1892, Plessy, who was light skinned enough to pass as white, volunteered to participate in an elaborate civil disobedience plan devised by the committee leadership. On June 7, he bought a first-class ticket on the East Louisiana local from New Orleans and Covington, and took seat in the whites-only passenger car.

Who argued Plessy's case?

Two remarkable characters played major roles in the case: attorney and activist Albion Winegar Tourgée, who argued Plessy’s case, and Justice John Marshall Harlan of the U.S. Supreme Court, who was the sole dissenter from the court’s decision.

What did Harlan do in the Plessy case?

And his dissent in the Plessy case could be considered his masterpiece in reasoning against the prevailing racial attitudes of his era.

What was the Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson?

Ferguson established that the policy of “separate but equal” was legal and states could pass laws requiring segregation of the races. By declaring that Jim Crow laws were constitutional, the nation’s highest court created an atmosphere of legalized discrimination ...

What was the second paragraph of the Harlan v. Harlan case?

The second paragraph was devoted to Harlan's dissent: "Mr. Justice Harlan announced a very vigorous dissent, saying that he saw nothing but mischief in all such laws.

Which court held that equal but separate accommodations for White and Black people did not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14

Dissenting: Justice Harlan. Ruling: The court held that equal but separate accommodations for White and Black people did not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Plessy v. Ferguson. On June 7, 1892 a New Orleans shoemaker, Homer Plessy, bought a railroad ticket and sat in a car designated for White people only.

What party was Harlan in?

He served as a Union officer in the Civil War, and following the war, he became involved in politics, aligned with the Republican Party. He was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1877. On the highest court, Harlan developed a reputation for dissenting.

Where was Plessy arrested?

He was arrested and released on bail the same day. Plessy was later put on trial in a court in New Orleans. Plessy’s violation of the local law was actually a challenge to a national trend toward laws separating the races.

Overview

Homer Adolph Plessy (born Homère Patris Plessy; 1862 or March 17, 1863 – March 1, 1925) was an American shoemaker and activist, best known as the plaintiff in the United States Supreme Court decision Plessy v. Ferguson. He staged an act of civil disobedience to challenge one of Louisiana's racial segregation laws and bring a test case to force the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of segregation laws. The Court decided against Plessy. The resulting "separ…

Early life and historical context

Plessy v. Ferguson

Later life

Legacy

Further reading