How did the Plessy decision interpret the 'Reasonableness' of state laws?
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Correct answer: State legislatures may act based on established usages, customs, and traditions
The Court ruled that the Louisiana legislature acted reasonably because it followed the 'established usages, customs, and traditions of the people.' This allowed the Court to justify segregation as a reflection of existing social preferences rather than a violation of rights.
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More Plessy v. Ferguson questions
- Which of the following was a long-term psychological argument used against the Plessy precedent in later years?
- The 1896 case Plessy v. Ferguson centered on the constitutionality of a Louisiana law that required:
- Homer Plessy was specifically chosen by the Comité des Citoyens to challenge the law because:
- Which constitutional amendment's 'Equal Protection Clause' was the primary focus of the Plessy v. Ferguson case?
- In the majority opinion, Justice Henry Billings Brown argued that if segregation made African Americans feel inferior, it was solely becaus…
- What legal doctrine was established by the Supreme Court’s ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson?