The Pennsylvania College Cases of 1871 were a series of cases heard by the United States Supreme Court. The cases involved the question of whether the state of Pennsylvania had the right to establish a system of public education that excluded African Americans. The Supreme Court ruled that the state did not have the right to exclude African Americans from public education, and that the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibited such discrimination. The cases began when the state of Pennsylvania passed a law in 1867 that allowed for the establishment of public schools, but excluded African Americans from attending. The law was challenged by a group of African American parents who argued that the law violated the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law. The Supreme Court agreed with the parents, ruling that the state of Pennsylvania had violated the Fourteenth Amendment by excluding African Americans from public education. The Pennsylvania College Cases of 1871 were an important milestone in the struggle for civil rights in the United States. The Supreme Court's ruling established that the Fourteenth Amendment prohibited states from discriminating against African Americans in public education, and set a precedent for future civil rights cases. The ruling also helped to pave the way for the desegregation of public schools in the United States.

In the Pennsylvania College Cases, 1871, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a state law that prohibited racial discrimination in certain public accommodations violated the Fourteenth Amendment. The majority opinion held that it did not violate any constitutional rights and thus upheld the law. However, Justice Field dissented from this decision on two grounds: firstly, he argued that Congress had no power under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment to pass such laws; secondly, he argued that even if they did have such power it would be an unconstitutional exercise of federal authority over matters which were traditionally within state control. He concluded by stating his belief that states should retain their right to regulate their own affairs without interference from Congress or other branches of government.