Using complete sentences, compare and contrast the subject matter and outcome of the cases of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

Answer:

Both Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and Brown v. Board of Education (1954) dealt with the concept of “separate but equal.” Plessy was brought about when a man, Homer Adolph Plessy, refused to move from the train car he was riding when he was informed that it was only for whites. The court ruled that, as long as blacks had a similar car, it was constitutional to keep whites and blacks separated; however, when the “separate but equal” concept was brought up in 1954, the Supreme Court ruled differently. In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court determined that separate but equal was impossible and therefore unconstitutional. Since 1954, goals of segregation have been replaced by the singular goal of an integrated American society