rutherford b hayes, james garfield, and chester arthur the population aittle bit more than 50 million people. least 20 law schools were in operation. the first women's practi law, 1869, and reconstruction was going on at that time. did that affect his career, the civil war service, did it affect his career throughout his life and reconstruction? jeffrey: this of course is a central development in american in constitutional law. holmes' colleague was affected by his civil war experience. he wrote the dsenting opinion in plessy versus ferguson, and also objected to the courts efforts to strike down landmarks of reconstruction, including the civil rights act of 1875. by the time holmes joined the court, troops had been withdrawn from the south. holmes didn't have the opportunity to pass on the central landmarks of the reconstruction, but he did in his service acquiesce in some very shameful opinions that poured into the goals of reconstruction, allowing alabama to disenfranchise all black people simply by using literacy tests and full taxes. this is an example of its darker side, holmes