Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark United States Supreme Court decision in 1896 that upheld the constitutionality of state laws mandating racial segregation in public facilities under the doctrine of "separate but equal." The case involved a Louisiana law that required separate railroad cars for white and African American passengers. Homer Plessy, who was of mixed racial heritage, boarded a white-only train car and was subsequently arrested. Plessy argued that the law violated the Fourteenth Amendment, guaranteeing equal protection under the law. However, the Supreme Court ruled against Plessy, stating that racial segregation was constitutional as long as the separate facilities provided were equal in quality. This decision established the legal precedent of "separate but equal" and became a foundation for institutionalized racial discrimination and the Jim Crow era.
