Question

The Supreme Court's decision in the Plessy v. Ferguson case had a long-lasting effect on race relations in America. Which statement best describes its impact?
a. All freed slaves in the South were given 40 acres of land and a mule.

b. The court declared that the 14th Amendment was unconstitutional.

c. Blacks were permitted to share railway cars with whites in the South.

d. Segregation in the South was determined to be legal.

Answer 1

Answer:

d. Segregation in the South was determined to be legal.

Explanation:

In 1892, Homer Plessy, a black man, sat in a "whites only" car of a Louisiana train. But Louisiana had a Separate Car Act (1890), which required separate railway cars for blacks and whites, and Plessy ended up arrested.

In the case, Plessy’s lawyer argued that the Separate Car Act violated the 13th and 14th Amendments, which established absolute equality before the law for people regardless of their origin or race.

However, the Supreme Court considered that segregation did not necessarily imply an inequality toward African Americans, and it wasn't a form of discrimination. Therefore, segregation in the South was determined to be legal.

Answer 2

d. Segregation in the South was determined to be legal