Peter Manougian
Mrs. Narbon
U.S. History G4
11 March 2015
Segregation in the Late 19th Century Separate but equal; entirely too far from the truth. Blacks were not truly freed after slavery was abolished. Between 1865 and 1900, segregation changed life in the United States by separating races based on prejudice, keeping blacks out of public places, and dehumanizing blacks by denying their rights. Many groups in the 19th century were apposed to abolishing slavery and did everything they could to undermine the rights of blacks. Segregation was an unfortunate yet unavoidable part of American History for blacks during Reconstruction. However, it created a huge impact on the way equality is handled in our society today. Racial segregation was …show more content…
In 1892, the court case Plessy vs. Ferguson introduced the doctrine “Separate but Equal”, which outlawed unjust segregation, but resulted in allowing prejudiced segregation. Plessy vs. Ferguson began when a shoemaker named Homer Plessy was arrested and put in jail for sitting in the white car of the East Louisiana Railroad on June 7, 1892. Even though Plessy was only one-eighths black and seven-eighths white, he was still considered black by Louisiana law. Plessy went to court to argue his case that his arrest was unconstitutional. Only one of the eight judges, who was a former slave, voted for Plessy. The court decided that a law that “implies merely legal distinction between races” (History.com Staff) did not conflict with the 13th or 14th amendments. Though deemed necessary by many and made legal by the Supreme Court, segregation made the lives of blacks miserable and kept them as close to slavery as possible. Throughout history, many groups of people have been put down and discriminated against and were even hurt by other groups that believed they were superior. Although much progress has been made toward racial equality since segregation, there is much more growing and progress to make before genuine equality is
Mrs. Narbon
U.S. History G4
11 March 2015
Segregation in the Late 19th Century Separate but equal; entirely too far from the truth. Blacks were not truly freed after slavery was abolished. Between 1865 and 1900, segregation changed life in the United States by separating races based on prejudice, keeping blacks out of public places, and dehumanizing blacks by denying their rights. Many groups in the 19th century were apposed to abolishing slavery and did everything they could to undermine the rights of blacks. Segregation was an unfortunate yet unavoidable part of American History for blacks during Reconstruction. However, it created a huge impact on the way equality is handled in our society today. Racial segregation was …show more content…
In 1892, the court case Plessy vs. Ferguson introduced the doctrine “Separate but Equal”, which outlawed unjust segregation, but resulted in allowing prejudiced segregation. Plessy vs. Ferguson began when a shoemaker named Homer Plessy was arrested and put in jail for sitting in the white car of the East Louisiana Railroad on June 7, 1892. Even though Plessy was only one-eighths black and seven-eighths white, he was still considered black by Louisiana law. Plessy went to court to argue his case that his arrest was unconstitutional. Only one of the eight judges, who was a former slave, voted for Plessy. The court decided that a law that “implies merely legal distinction between races” (History.com Staff) did not conflict with the 13th or 14th amendments. Though deemed necessary by many and made legal by the Supreme Court, segregation made the lives of blacks miserable and kept them as close to slavery as possible. Throughout history, many groups of people have been put down and discriminated against and were even hurt by other groups that believed they were superior. Although much progress has been made toward racial equality since segregation, there is much more growing and progress to make before genuine equality is