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Day v Owen (1858)

Michigan Supreme Court ruled in favor of Owen owner of the steamer on the Detroit to Toledo route. The court found the Days had the right to be carried on a common carrier but did not have the right to “whites only” cabin accommodations. This case determined segregated facilities until after the civil war, supporting the separate but unequal practices of this period. This case solidified growing racial animosities and caste systems in Michigan. It also represented the battle between the Republican Party who supported increased rights for blacks with the Democratic Party’s manipulation of “Necrophobic” fears among white immigrants.


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