Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Louisiana’s law requiring separate train cars for blacks and whites did not violate either the Privileges and Immunities Clause or the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The ruling held that the law mandating segregation was in line with “the established usages, customs and traditions of the people, and with a view to the promotion of their comfort, and the preservation of the public peace and good order.”

The decision referenced the Slaughter-House Cases (1873) as a basis for its narrow reading of the Privileges and Immunities Clause. The Plessy decision was eventually overturned by Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

This case touched on constitutional principles including equality, and civic values including respect and justice.