HISET Social Studies Practice

What was determined in Plessy v Ferguson regarding segregation?

1. Segregation is unconstitutional

2. Separate facilities can be equal

3. Racial segregation must be ended immediately

4. All forms of discrimination are prohibited

The correct answer is: Separate facilities can be equal

In Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the doctrine of "separate but equal." The ruling determined that separate facilities for different races, as long as they were deemed equal in quality, did not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision provided legal justification for segregation in public facilities and services for decades, establishing a precedent that states could segregate public spaces based on race, as long as the separate facilities were of equal quality. The other choices do not accurately reflect the court's ruling. The assertion that segregation is unconstitutional or that all forms of discrimination are prohibited misrepresents the legal framework established by this case. Additionally, the idea that racial segregation must be ended immediately contradicts the ruling's allowance for segregation to continue under specific conditions.