michigan supreme court
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Michigan Supreme Court. Territorial Times to the 1950s: Decisions Affecting African Americans. Territorial Cases. Judge Woodward:1807. Denison v Tucker: slaves returned to Tucker who was deemed to be lawful master of the Denisons - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Michigan Supreme Court
Territorial Times to the 1950s: Decisions Affecting African
Americans
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Territorial Cases
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Judge Woodward:1807
• Denison v Tucker: slaves returned to Tucker who was deemed to be lawful master of the Denisons
• In Matter of Richard Pattinson: Woodward decided not to return fugitive slaves
• Two cases demonstrate conflict between what was viewed as the immorality of slavery and an obligation to and interpretation of the laws
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Voting • Gordon v Farrar: Supreme Court found that
voting was exclusive to white males, 1844• People v Dean: Justices Campbell, Cooley
and Christiancy defined white as “less than ¼ African blood”
• Hedgeman v Board of Registration: Court held that free blacks were not citizens
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Education• Workman v Detroit Board of Education,
1869• “Separate but Equal” Doctrine dismissed• Public school admission based on race ruled
illegal• 1871: William W. Ferguson first African
American admitted to Detroit Public School system
• Legal victory without practical application, schools continued to be segregated
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Public Accommodations
• Day v Owen, 1858
• Ferguson v Gies, 1890
• Bolden v Grand Rapids Operating Corp, 1927
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Day v Owen, 1858
• Denied passage on a steamer from Detroit to Toledo
• Sued for damages• Court ruled that
ultimately the defendant had the right to decide who would ride on his steamer
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Ferguson v Gies, 1890• Came after Civil Rights
legislation, Act 130
• Counteracted ideology of Day v Owen
• “In Michigan, there must be absolute, unconditional equality of White and Colored before the Law”-Justice Morse
• Prominent African American representationJustice Morse
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Bolden v Grand Rapids Operating Corp, 1927
• Gave African Americans right to sue for damages if discriminated against
• Michigan’s Civil Rights Statute was found to be constitutional exercise of the state’s police powers
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William W. Ferguson
• Prominent Detroit business owner of a printing company
• Became a lawyer in 1897
• First African American elected to Michigan Legislature
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D. Augustus Straker• African-American
lawyer from the Bahamas, represented Ferguson
• One of the first minorities to argue before the Michigan Supreme Court
• Included in 1900 time capsule that was recently opened
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Restrictive Covenants
• Most commonly, refusing housing based on racial restrictions
• Parmalee v Morris,1922: upheld racially restrictive covenants
• Sipes v McGhee, 1947: Led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that states could not enforce racially restrictive covenants
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Ramifications• The Michigan
Supreme Court made powerful decisions, promoting change or maintaining the status quo, and whether positive or negative the Court has an undeniable impact on our lives.
• The cases chosen represent medley of the Court’s work
• Historically, the Court reflected the conservative beliefs of Midwestern Michigan society