Homer Plessy and John Ferguson
Ted Shaw of the University of North Carolina Law School and Michael Klarman of Harvard Law School discussed how Homer Plessy was chosen by the Citizens Committee to test the "Separate but Equal" policy in public spaces. Homer Plessy was the central figure in the landmark Supreme Court Case Plessy v. Ferguson. They also discussed the role that Judge John Ferguson played in the case.
Description
Ted Shaw of the University of North Carolina Law School and Michael Klarman of Harvard Law School discussed how Homer Plessy was chosen by the Citizens Committee to test the "Separate but Equal" policy in public spaces. Homer Plessy was the central figure in the landmark Supreme Court Case Plessy v. Ferguson. They also discussed the role that Judge John Ferguson played in the case.
Bell Ringer Assignment
- Who was Homer Plessy and why was he selected to be plaintiff in the test case?
- How was the train company involved in this case? Why was this?
- What is meant by this being a "test case?"
- Who was John Ferguson? How did he rule in the state case?
Additional Resource
- Lesson Plan: Reconstruction Era
This lesson includes a collection of video clips highlighting some of the key people, legislation, organizations and events that emerged during this era and made a lasting impact on the country.
Participants
Vocabulary
- Plaintiff
- Segregation
- Supreme Court
- Test Case