Post-Civil War Law

Post-Civil War Law: Who Did It Benefit? For most Americans today, the law is a static entity, something which, from day to day, does not cross our minds because of its relatively fixed position. Theoretically, the law protects all Americans equally, regardless of race, ethnicity, or class, and is the tool of just and impartial lawmakers who represent us in Congress. The judiciary, both at the state and federal levels, serves as the interpreters of …

…elites at this time used their power to influence American lawmakers and courts to make and interpret laws, such as Plessy v. Ferguson and Welton v. Missouri, which would protect their position in society. This resulted in the retarding of the advancement of the lower classes for years to come, and even now one can see the effects of this misuse of the law when one looks at the vastly stratified classes which exist today.