Albion W. Tourgée (1838–1905) was a soldier, journalist, attorney, judge, and prolific author of books, including the novel A Fool’s Errand, by One of the Fools (1879). As the lead attorney for the plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), Tourgée argued against the “separate but equal” doctrine. Carolyn L. Karcher is Professor Emerita at Temple University, where she taught English, American studies, and women’s studies. Among her books are The First Woman of the Republic: A Cultural Biography of Lydia Maria Child and A Lydia Maria Child Reader, both also published by Duke University Press.

Albion W. Tourgée (1838–1905) was a soldier, journalist, attorney, judge, and prolific author of books, including the novel A Fool’s Errand, by One of the Fools (1879). As the lead attorney for the plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), Tourgée argued against the “separate but equal” doctrine. Carolyn L. Karcher is Professor Emerita at Temple University, where she taught English, American studies, and women’s studies. Among her books are The First Woman of the Republic: A Cultural Biography of Lydia Maria Child and A Lydia Maria Child Reader, both also published by Duke University Press.