Brown v. Board of Education ruled that segregated schools were unconstitutional, violating the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the doctrine of "separate but equal" and found that segregated rail cars were constitutional in Louisiana. Dred Scott v. Sanford determined that African Americans were not citizens under the Constitution and could not claim its protections.

1. US Landmark Cases
Arman Arneja

2. Brown vs. Board Of
Education
❧ 1954-1955
❧ Concerned the Issue of Segregated Schools
❧ Plaintiff argued that segregated Schools violated the
“Equal Protection Under Law” Provided by the 14th
amendment.
❧ This was proved by a sociology test done by
Kenneth Clark showing that segregated schools
made black students feel inferior to those of the
white students.

3. Defense Arguments
❧ Stated the 14th amendment guranteed equal
treatment, not the same treatment. Stated that giving
people equal environment is giving them what they
need.
❧ US Government leaves Education standards to
State Governments.

4. Decision
❧ The Supreme Court decided that the segregation of
schools was unconstitutional.
❧ 14th amendment was used to prove that segregated
schools violated African Americans “Equal
Protection Under Law”. Therefore, abolishing
segregated schools.
❧ Formed “Little Rock 9” (First 9 African Americans to
transfer to a white school.)

5. Plessy vs. Ferguson.
❧ 1890
❧ Plaintiff purchased a first class ticket on a train on a
Louisiana Train and refused to get up when told that
his seats were reserved for whites only.
❧ Plessy was arrested and went to Supreme Court.
❧ He argued that this arrest violated his 14th
amendment which stated equal protection under law
and the 13th amendment which abolished slavery.

6. Defense Arguments
❧ Judge stated that the separate car act was
unconstitutional ONLY outside of Louisiana, and the
car Plessy was in was in Louisiana.
❧ The Separate car act was only legal in Louisiana.

7. Decision
❧ The Court ruled that the
“Separate but Equal” was
constitutional and since the
Separate Car Act was only
unconstitutional outside of
Louisiana Plessy was charged
guilty.

8. Dred Scott v. Sanford
❧ Dred Scott was a born slave in Virginia.
❧ A Man named Dr. Emerson bought Scott in a free
state (Illinois), a non-slave, free state.
❧ When Dr. Emerson died he left all his possessions
to his wife, Eliza Irene Sanford.
❧ Dred Scott (Plaintiff) claimed that he was no longer a
slave because he had become free when he lived in
a free state.

9. Defense Arguments
❧ African Americans were not citizens as defined by
the Constitution.
❧ At the time of the writing of the constitution African
Americans were “beings of inferior order”
❧ Therefore, African Americans cannot claim none of
the rights and privileges which that instrument
provides for and secures to citizens of the United
States.

10. Decision
❧ In a 7-2 opinion, the court ruled in favor of Sanford.
The court matter of fact was not able to use any of
the amendments because technically Dred Scott
was not a citizen therefore, he was not given any
rights that were guaranteed in the Constitution for
US Citizens.

11. Summary
❧ Brown v Board of Education ruled that segregated
schools was unconstitutional under the 14th amendment.
❧ Plessy v Ferguson was ruled in Ferguson’s favor
because the separate car act was only unconstitutional
outside of Louisiana.
❧ Dred Scott v. Sanford declared that technically blacks are
inferior beings and not citizens, therefore they are not
guaranteed the rights of citizens under the constitution.