Homer Plessy's Impact On The Civil Rights Movement

Certainly, freedom was supposed to be “freer”” for those slaves that had fought for their rights after years of submissionn, but, unfortunately, many white Southern people continued to ignore the law by not showing any respect for Africans-Americans. Because of the radical reconstruction in the south, the African-Americans were a step closer from the same political

Frederick Douglas spoke about these problems in 1876. He talked about how slaves were freed and left to live on their own - without land - and lead to face “the wrath of our infuriated masters”, referencing the many attacks against the freed people. Soon after the Civil War, laws known as the “Black Codes” were enforced. These laws prevented African-Americans from renting or keeping a house, holding public meetings, as well as carrying a weapon. These laws showcased the unfair hatred that Southerners directed towards newly freed men and women, similarly to the Jim Crow laws. The Jim Crow laws divided our country and as opposed to separating north and south, they parted the south between blacks and whites. This action was an enormous step back in our country’s fight for equality. If you were an African-American, you could not eat, go to the bathroom, or go to school in the same place as a white person. These actions and more were deemed against the law and lead to fines. After finally being considered free, rather than being accepted into society, African-Americans were sadly still seen as lesser than white people in America, and lost many rights as a

During the civil rights era, there were many iconic figures who created everlasting change. Although there were many individuals who did such thing, there were certain people who caused more of a major impact than others during this time in history. One of those icons were John Lewis, who teamed up with Andrew Aydin to create the March trilogy. These pieces examined John Lewis himself and his path throughout the civil rights movement. There were numerous factors that led John Lewis to become the civil rights activist that he became. Some may argue that every factor helped him in an equal way. However, I believe that although every factor helped drive him to become who he set out

Freed slaves were not welcomed into society as equals, instead they often struggled with discrimination in public

Freedom for blacks after the Civil War ended, was a polarizing subject. Two distinct opinions were prevalent. For former slaves freedom meant complete equality with whites. For whites, freedom was a roadblock to prosperity. Former slaves like Jourdon Anderson and Frederick Douglass defined freedom as fair wages and the right to vote. Blacks saw themselves as equals with whites in every respect. In direct contrast, the whites view is seen in the Black Codes of Mississippi.

Homer Plessy was a man who had ⅞ white in him was arrested for sitting in a whites only train car. He had a normal life he worked as a shoe maker. Homer Plessy was a that was arrested for sitting in a white only seat. When released from jail he challenged the law and end up making life harder on all african americans.

“All men are equal” but in the 1950’s through the late 1960’s that wasn’t the case. African Americans were treated differently than the whites. During that time African Americans had to do everything differently than what the white Americans had to do. There were many hardships that African Americans, Chicanos, and Native Americans had to face back then. During the civil rights movement, many people did protest marching, refused to follow the laws and boycott.

The Civil War helped to make black men free, but it did not cause black men to be seen as equals. Racial equality has been fought over in our country for centuries, and not even African Americans have always agreed on how it should be achieved. At the end of the 19th century two strong ideas about racial equality came to the surface. One was led by W.E.B. DuBois and the other by Booker T. Washington. DuBois believed that in order to gain racial equality, African Americans had to stand up and fight for what was rightfully theirs. DuBois also believed blacks should become educated in the arts and higher learning. Washington believed that if black people gained worthwhile skills they would gradually earn their place, and then become equal in the

In 1892, Homer Plessy, a man of 1/8th African descent, bought a first class ticket and boarded a train traveling within Louisiana. Upon discovery of his mixed heritage, the conductor ordered him to move to the designated colored car. He was arrested when he refused to move; a violation of The Separate Car Act which required separate but equal accommodations for African Americans and Whites on railroads. Thus began the fight against the idea of separate but equal.

They were even stripped of previous political gains from the Reconstruction era. Black political leaders like Booker T. Washington went as far as to advocate for segregation, accepting the inferiority of blacks, encouraging them to “…glorify common labor.” Washington’s views helped solidify Jim Crow as an institution in the south. (compromise) Some black leaders challenged Jim Crow legislation, but in 1896, in the Plessy v. Ferguson case, the Supreme Court upheld segregation as

Tourgée, which was Plessy’s lawyer, argued in his appeal of the arrest that this “separate but equal” law is unconstitutional. The judge of the case, named Ferguson, disagreed completely. The appeal eventually made it all the way up to the Supreme Court. The final ruling of the case ruled as the “separate but equal” law is constitutional, leading to the arrest of Homer Plessy. This ruling led to blacks being separate from whites, yet also being “equal.”

It all began on June 7, 1892 when Homer Plessy bought a train ticket from New Orleans to Covington, Louisiana (Davis 1). He sat down in the railroad car designated for whites only. The Conductor by the name of John J. Dowling acknowledged Plessy and questioned the coach he sat down in, based on his race (2). Homer Plessy was defying the social rules of the state which angered the Conductor who then asked him to move. Plessy declined the man’s order and Detective Chris Cain entered the scene. He was repeatedly asked to move again, but following his plan, Homer Plessy continued to refuse and was arrested at the scene. The detective brought Plessy to New Orleans’s Fifth Precinct station where he was charged with violating Louisiana's 1890 Separate

Despite condemning slavery and installing multiple laws in society to assure African Americans be treated comparatively equal residents, this was not the situation in most regions in America particularly the South. Each endeavor by the government to secure the level treatment of the African American were met with difficulties. Companies in society rejected the idea to hire African Americans over a white American even if both had comparable abilities. As a consequence, African Americans could not be advanced in society and remained alternately crushed. This persecution transpired ignited the Civil Rights Movement and comprehensive transformation in American society.

Many social changes have occurred throughout the history of the United States. The Civil Rights Movement is one of the most remarkable times in American history where there was a big change in society. There has always been discrimination toward African Americans, but it worsened after slavery was abolished in 1863. Although the Declaration of Independence states “all men are created equal,” African Americans have yet to receive the rights that they were promised. They went through extreme measures in order to fight for their rights, including: riots, boycotts, sit-ins, peaceful protests, and many more. There were two very distinct groups of people who opposed the way they were being treated: one approached the situation

Up to the present time, the civil rights movement is a campaign that has been in play for a while. Over several years, different laws have been fabricated to shape a society that has more civil rights. Court cases have taken place that have caused the supreme courts to change laws. Quite a few Supreme Court cases have majorly impacted the civil rights movement: Dred Scott v. Sandford, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Brown v. Board of Education.