Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Facts: In 1890, Louisiana passed a law that required blacks to ride in separate railroad cars. Homer Plessy, a carpenter in Louisiana who was seven-eighths Caucasian, was chosen to test the constitutionality of the law. On June 7, 1892, Plessy boarded a train and sat in a car reserved for whites. He refused to move and was arrested. A local judge ruled against Plessy.

Decision: The case was appealed to the Supreme Court and in 1896, it upheld the lower courts ruling. It held that "separate but equal" accommodations did not violate Plessy's rights and that the law did not stamp the "colored race with a badge of inferiority." This decision paved the way for segregation.