"Separate But Equal" | Plessy v. Ferguson

In 1892, Homer Plessy, who was 1/8 black, was arrested for sitting in a whites-only train car in Louisiana. This was a planned protest by the Citizens Committee against the Separate Car Act. Plessy challenged the law, arguing it violated the 13th and 14th Amendments. The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the law, establishing the 'separate but equal' doctrine. Justice Harlan dissented, predicting the decision would be infamous. The case fueled the civil rights movement and was eventually overturned by Brown v. Board of Education.

What was the main reason Homer Plessy was arrested?

• He was caught without a train ticket.

• He refused to move from a whites-only train car.

• He was involved in a robbery.

• He was accused of vagrancy.

What was the outcome of Plessy's case in the Louisiana Supreme Court?

• The court ruled in favor of Plessy.

• The court dismissed the case.

• The court sided with Ferguson.

• The court declared the Separate Car Act unconstitutional.

Which amendment's clause was central to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson?

• The Fourteenth Amendment

• The Fifteenth Amendment

• The Thirteenth Amendment

• The First Amendment

What doctrine was established by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson?

• Colorblind Constitution Doctrine

• Civil Rights Doctrine

• Separate but Equal Doctrine

• Equal Opportunity Doctrine

Who was the only Supreme Court Justice to dissent in the Plessy v. Ferguson case?

• Justice John Marshall Harlan

• Justice David Brewer

• Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes

• Justice Henry Billings Brown

What was the long-term impact of the Plessy v. Ferguson decision?

• It justified and strengthened Jim Crow laws.

• It had no significant impact.

• It was immediately overturned.

• It led to the abolition of racial segregation.

What significant event occurred in 2009 related to the Plessy v. Ferguson case?

• A new law was passed to reinforce the decision.

• Descendants of Plessy and Ferguson formed a foundation.

• The case was declared null and void.

• The case was retried in court.