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DBQ
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2/26/16
PlessyvsFergusonDecision
Racismisahugeprobleminsociety,today,butitisnothingcomparedtowhenblacks
werefightingfortheirrights,calledtheCivilrightsmovement.Duringthistimeperiodlawslike
Jimcrowlaws(18771960),andtheSeparateCaract,passedin1890,werebeingplaced.
Theselawswereformsofsegregation,settingtworacesapart,Jimcrowlawswerebasicallya
listoftheplacesthatblacksandwhitescouldn'tbetogetherin,andhowblacksandwhiteshad
toactwithoneanother.TheSeparatecaractwasalawthatstatedequalbutseparate,
meaningthateventhoughtheyareseparatedtheyarestillbeinggiventheirrightfulrights.This
lawwaslaterchallengedandtheytookitallthewaytothesupremecourt,thiswasknownas
PlessyVsFerguson(1896).AmannamedHomerPlessychallengedthislaw,ashoemakerin
louisiana,endeduplosingthetrial.Thedecisionsmadeinthistrialweremainlybasedonthese
threetermscustom,actions,behaviors,traditionsthatareacceptedinsociety.Precedent,an
importanteventthatsetsanexampleforthefuturesimilarevents,andfederalism,asystemof
governmentdistributingpower.Allthesetermshadacertaindegreeofimpactinthisdecision,
Federalismhavingthemost,thenprecedent,andfinallycustom.
Customissomethingthatpeopleareusedtothatisbasicallylikearoutineforthem.This
wayofthinkingplayedahugeroleinthedecisionmakingofthesupremecourt.Wecannot
acceptthisproposal.Ifthetworacesaretomeetupontermsofsocialequality,itmustbethe
resultofnaturalaffinities,amutualappreciationofeachother'smeritsandavoluntaryconsent
ofindividuals.(DocK).Thiswascommentsfromthesupremecourtaboutthistrial.Thismeans
thatthetworacescannotbeforcedtolikeeachother,itisnotthattheyareinferiorbutthatthe
whiteracemakesthemfeelthatwaybecauseofhowtheytreatthem,butnoneoftheirrights
arebeingtakenaway.Thisiscustombecausethisishowpeopleareusedtoitwhitepeopleare
usedtobeingthedominantraceandtheyaredoingthatbyputtingtheotheronesdown.My
doubtsweretheresultofpersonalobservationsonthelimitsphereofmyownstate.(DocE).
ThiswasThomasJeffersontoHenriGregoire1809.Heisbasicallysayingthathisdoubtswere
becauseofwhathesawintheworldwhathewasusedto.Thisiscustombecauseitshowshow
hefeltaboutithedoubteditbecausehewascustomforonething.
Precedentisanimportanteventthataffectsfutureeventssimilartotheone.Precedent
alsoplayedahugeroleinthedecisionmakingofthesupremecourt.Theobjectofthe14th
amendmentwasundoubtedlytoenforcetheabsoluteequalityofthetworacesbeforethe
law.(DocI)Thisstateswhatthe14thamendmentwasallabout,thateveryraceisequal.Thisis
precedentbecausetheyarebasingtheirdecisiononsomethingthatwasinthepastandisnow
affectingthemnow.Weholdthesetruthstobeselfevident,thatallmenarecreated
equal.(DocA)Thisisfromthedeclarationofindependence,andagainitisbringingupthepast
werethesesortsofthingshadgreatimpactonthefuture.Thishowprecedentimpactedthe
decisionmakingofthesupremecourtinthistrial.
Federalismisaformofgovernmentthatdistributespower.Thisprobablyhadthebiggest
rolebeingplayedwhenitcametothedecisionmakingofthesupremecourt.Butintheviewof
theconstitution,intheeyeofthelaw,thereisnothinginthiscountrynosuperior,dominant,
rulingclassofcitizens.(...)Ourconstitutioniscolorblindandneitherknowsnortoleratesclasses
amongcitizens.(DocL).ThiswasfromtheConstitution.Thisisfederalismbecausethe
constitutionisbasicallywhatgiveseveryonepowerthesearethelaws,withoutthemthe
distributionofpowerwouldbeoutofsink.Heisbasinghisdecisionontheconstitution.This
unfortunatedifferenceofcolor,andperhapsoffacultyisapowerfulobstacletothe
emancipationofthesepeople.(DocB).Someonefromthegovernmentistalkingaboutthe
emancipationofafricanamericans.Thisisfederalismbecauseitissomeonethatisinvolvedin
thedistributionofpowerintheU.S.influencingtheoneswiththedecisions.
Inconclusionthesethree