Dent v. Ferguson was a Supreme Court case that was decided in 1896. The case involved a dispute between the state of Tennessee and the city of Chattanooga over the right to tax a railroad. The state of Tennessee argued that it had the right to tax the railroad, while the city of Chattanooga argued that it had the right to tax the railroad as well. The Supreme Court ultimately sided with the state of Tennessee, ruling that the state had the right to tax the railroad. The Court held that the state had the power to tax the railroad under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution, which gives the federal government the power to regulate interstate commerce. The Court also held that the city of Chattanooga did not have the right to tax the railroad, as it was not within the city's jurisdiction. The decision in this case established the principle that states have the power to tax interstate commerce, and that cities do not have the right to tax interstate commerce.

In the Supreme Court case of Dent v. Ferguson, Justice Harlan delivered a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the majority’s decision was wrongfully based on an interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment that did not take into account its original intent and purpose. He noted that while it may be true that some states had passed laws to restrict African Americans from voting, this should not have been used as justification for allowing such restrictions to continue under federal law. Instead, Justice Harlan argued, Congress should have taken action to ensure equal protection under the law by passing legislation specifically prohibiting racial discrimination in voting rights cases. Furthermore, he stated that any state-level laws restricting African American suffrage were unconstitutional because they violated both due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. Ultimately, Justice Harlan concluded his dissent by asserting that if Congress failed to act then it would be up to courts like those at hand “to protect all citizens against unlawful State action denying them their constitutional right."