Douglas Cruz

4th Mr. Muoz

02/26/2016
To what extent did each of the following impact the ruling in Plessy V. Ferguson:
Precedent, custom, and understanding of federalism?

The era of movements, civil rights, and fights for equality, this was the time period in which
Plessy Vs. Ferguson was taken to court. Plessy Vs. Ferguson was a supreme court case in
1896 that was meant to test the constitutionality of the separate car act. The separate car act
was implemented and determined that Whites and African Americans had to sit in different train
cars. Plessy claimed he was 1/8ths Black and sat in the whites section of the train car, he was
promptly arrested and charged. The decisions that were made in the Plessy Vs. Ferguson case
were most effectively decided on traditional customs which many Americans lived by, followed
by a strong central government, and finally precedented, or one of a kind never before seen,
events.
Plessy Vs. Ferguson was most affected and the decision was largely determined by
traditions that Americans had followed on a daily basis for a while. What this bucket shows is
how citizens of the United States lived their life and how certain things were already expected
from African Americans and that anything that was meant to oppress the African Americans was
nothing new to them in that time. In Document B, a statement by Thomas Jefferson in 1787 it
states, Comparing [Negros] by their faculties of memory, reason, and imagination that in
memory they are equal to whites, in reason much inferior, in imagination they are dull, tasteless
and anomalous. This shows that the Whites believed African Americans to be inferior and
especially White men in higher ranking government positions believed this so stating something
like this was a norm and a way of life that Whites continued to force of Blacks. In document M
there is a young African American heading towards a colored people only waiting room at a bus

station in 1940. This image shows traditions and customs and proves to be a norm or regular
way of living back in the Jim Crow era in 1940 when African Americans and Whites were being
separated, specifically at transportation stations although it wasnt just limited to these locations.
People lived this way daily and the African Americans had to face this oppression head on and
accept it until they got equality. The way of living was a huge factor in deciding the final verdict
but the style of government and its opinion also mattered.
Plessy Vs. Ferguson was also largely affected and determined by a strong central
government which was biased and had a certain group of people in favor. This bucket
demonstrates how government and political power can largely determine the outcome of things
and beliefs can mean one thing one day but another the next depending on whos in charge and
who leads the way no matter how many people attempt to fight back. In Document F, an
argument by Quincy Adams in 1841, it states, The Constitution of the United States recognizes
the slaves.. only in their capacity of persons the Constitution nowhere recognizes them as
property. This shows that the document which founded this country and which many people
devoted themselves to and is a national treasure to the government was not color blind and saw
all people as equal and similar no matter their race or gender, it showed that the citizens of the
United States should not be either and that it was meant to hold a strong government together.
In document H, a section of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868 states, No State shall make or
enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United
States. This shows that the original documents of this country favored all people and is what
made it so strong in the first place, they saw all Whites and Blacks as equal human beings who
deserved the same rights and civil equalities no matter what, this affected the judgement of the
people in favor of Plessy in this court case and determine that those people had the right
judgement.
Finally Plessy Vs. Ferguson was also determined by never before seen events although
this is one of the reasons that has a less powerful effect it is still one of the more major reasons

why the decisions that were made happened. This final buckets exemplifies how new beliefs
and ideas can drastically change the views of one person who might have not seen things in a
different way if it wasn't for new and life changing events, which truly show the horror and facts
of an occurrence. In document E a new statement by Thomas Jefferson in 1809 shows this
change, he states, Whatever be their degree of talent it is no measure of their rights hopeful
advances are making toward their re-establishment on an equal footing with the other colors of
the human family. This shows that once people started making points about the Declaration of
Independence and the COnstitution people in politics who once had certain beliefs began to
change their minds and see that they were in the wrong and that all people were the same no
matter what, Thomas Jefferson realized that rights should not be given to people based off of
what they could do but given to everyone no matter what, the African Americans were
attempting to progress and be equal with the rest of America and that was to be respected and
valued by the Whites and oppression towards the African Americans was not the right answer.
In document G there is an image which depicts a White man and an African American sitting on
a scale together held up above others by the American Eagle and two American flags and
shows the Black man being freed from his shackles. This image, titled, The Declaration of
Independence Illustrated shows equality for all Whites and African Americans together alike
and that was something not supported by many and had never been seen before and it opened
the eyes of many politicians and citizens and showed them that under the eyes of the
declaration of independence we are all equal and it is not color blind so they shouldn't be either.
To conclude, the decisions that were made in the Plessy Vs. Ferguson case were most
effectively decided on traditionals which many Americans lived by, followed by a strong central
government, and finally, one of a kind, events that were unprecedented and a shock to many
American people. Documents such as the declaration of independence and the constitution
proved that a strong start to a government had to be withheld and equality to all had to be given
and changes in ideas by strong political figures such as Thomas Jefferson and Quincy Adams

proved to be precedented events that would also motivate many other citizens of America to
open their eyes and provide equal rights for African Americans which they won later on in 1968
thanks to their efforts and court cases which were never before seen events, Customs changed
but a strong central government stayed and equality for all was given.