Plessy, ferguson was a landmark supreme court case that focused on which Fourteenth Amendment clause
penalty clause
due process clause
equal protection clause
citizenship clause
The landmark Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson focused on the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The landmark Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson focused on the "equal protection clause" of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The landmark Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson focused on the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
To explain how to arrive at this answer, let's break down the process:
1. Start by understanding the context: Plessy v. Ferguson was a significant Supreme Court case decided in 1896 that dealt with racial segregation in public facilities.
2. Identify the Fourteenth Amendment: The Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution was ratified in 1868 and includes several important clauses relating to individual rights and equal protection.
3. Familiarize yourself with the different clauses: The Fourteenth Amendment consists of multiple clauses, including the Citizenship Clause, Due Process Clause, Equal Protection Clause, and Penalty Clause.
4. Analyze the case: In Plessy v. Ferguson, the case questioned the legality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine. Homer Plessy, who was seven-eighths Caucasian and one-eighth African American, challenged a Louisiana law requiring separate train cars for African Americans. Plessy argued that this law violated his rights under the Fourteenth Amendment.
5. Evaluate the arguments: Plessy's legal team argued that the state law imposed unequal treatment based on race, violating the Equal Protection Clause.
6. Consider the Supreme Court's decision: In a 7-1 decision, the Supreme Court ruled against Plessy, upholding racial segregation and establishing the "separate but equal" doctrine. They argued that the Louisiana law did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment because the facilities were deemed equal.
Given this information, we can conclude that the Fourteenth Amendment clause that Plessy v. Ferguson focused on was the Equal Protection Clause.