"Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law. The humblest is the peer of the most powerful. . . . The thin disguise of 'equal' accommodations for passengers in railroad coaches will not mislead any one, nor atone for the wrong this day done."
— Justice John Marshall Harlan, dissenting opinion in Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896
Which of the following was a direct result of the majority decision in the Supreme Court case referenced in the excerpt?
- It provided legal justification for the expansion of racial segregation.Answer
- BIt enforced the voting protections established by the Fifteenth Amendment.
- CIt established federal regulation of railroad rates to support Southern industries.
- DIt mandated the redistribution of land to Native Americans to encourage assimilation.
Answer
It provided legal justification for the expansion of racial segregation.
The Supreme Court's majority decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) established the 'separate but equal' doctrine, providing constitutional sanction for state-mandated racial segregation in public accommodations and accelerating the expansion of Jim Crow laws across the South.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Establishment of the legal framework for Jim Crow segregation through Plessy v. Ferguson