Question
1 sentence each
8. Plessy vs. Ferguson
a. Provide a brief description of the case and the ruling (3-4 sentences).
b. How did it justify segregation?
8. Plessy vs. Ferguson
a. Provide a brief description of the case and the ruling (3-4 sentences).
b. How did it justify segregation?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
a. Plessy v. Ferguson was an 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine. The case arose when Homer Plessy, a biracial man, challenged Louisiana's segregation laws after being arrested for sitting in a "whites-only" railroad car. The Court ruled that as long as the separate facilities for blacks and whites were equal, segregation did not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. This ruling solidified legal segregation across the United States for decades.
b. The decision justified segregation by asserting that separate facilities for different races were permissible, as long as they were equal, thus providing a legal framework for enforcing racial discrimination while maintaining the notion of equality.
b. The decision justified segregation by asserting that separate facilities for different races were permissible, as long as they were equal, thus providing a legal framework for enforcing racial discrimination while maintaining the notion of equality.