Plessy v. Ferguson: Separate But Equal?
Explore the landmark Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson and its impact on American society and civil rights.
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Plessy v. Ferguson: Separate But Equal?
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Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. Refer to your knowledge of U.S. History and the landmark Supreme Court case, Plessy v. Ferguson.
1. The Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Ferguson was decided in the year .
2. The ruling established the doctrine of " but equal."
3. The plaintiff in the case, Homer Plessy, was a man of -eighths African American descent.
1. What amendment to the U.S. Constitution did Homer Plessy argue was violated by the Louisiana Separate Car Act?
13th Amendment
14th Amendment
15th Amendment
19th Amendment
2. What was the primary effect of the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling?
It abolished slavery.
It legalized racial segregation.
It granted women the right to vote.
It established universal suffrage.
1. The Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson was unanimous.
True
False
2. Justice John Marshall Harlan's dissenting opinion argued that the Constitution is color-blind.
True
False
1. Briefly explain the legal argument presented by Homer Plessy's legal team.
2. Describe the impact of the Plessy v. Ferguson decision on American society and race relations.
Read the excerpt below from Justice John Marshall Harlan's dissenting opinion in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and answer the question that follows.
"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 law regards man as man, and takes no account of his surroundings or of his color when his civil rights as guaranteed by the supreme law of the land are involved."
1. In your own words, what was Justice Harlan's main point in this dissenting opinion regarding the role of the Constitution and civil rights?
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