The Plessy v. Ferguson decision established which doctrine?

• A. Segregation was unconstitutional
• B. Federal desegregation required nationwide
• C. State-ordered segregation was legal as long as facilities were equal
• D. The government could not regulate private businesses

Answer: (C)

The main idea is how the Supreme Court defined racial segregation in public facilities. Plessy v. Ferguson established the doctrine of “separate but equal,” meaning state-ordered segregation was considered legal as long as the separate facilities for different races were (in theory) equal in quality. This justified Jim Crow laws across the South and allowed separate trains, schools, and other public services to operate under state authority. In practice, the facilities for African Americans were rarely equal, but the ruling provided a constitutional shield for segregation until it was overturned later by Brown v. Board of Education. The other options don’t fit because this decision did not declare segregation unconstitutional, it did not call for nationwide federal desegregation, and it focused on public state actions rather than the government’s regulation of private businesses.