John Marshall Harlan vs. His Colleagues: One man stood against the prejudices of his era in case after case.
1883 The Civil Rights Cases of 1883: Does the United States have the power to prevent theaters, inns, and railroads from refusing to serve Black customers?
1895 United States v. E.C. Knight: Can the government prevent a single business trust from controlling 98 percent of the sugar production in the United States?
1895 Pollock v. Farmers’ Loan and Trust Co.: Is a federal income tax permitted under the Constitution?
1896 Plessy v. Ferguson: Can railroads force Black people to travel in separate carriages?
1903 Hawaii v. Mankichi: Are Hawaiians, Filipinos, Puerto Ricans and other people in U.S. protectorates entitled to full Constitutional rights?
1905 Lochner v. New York: Can states pass laws limiting work hours and protecting workers?
1908 Berea v. Kentucky: Can a state force teachers to serve only white students?
1909 United States v. Shipp: Can the United States hold local officials accountable for failing to stop a lynching?