The Plessy decision distinguished between 'political equality' and 'social equality.' How did the Court view the government's role in social equality?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: Social equality cannot be achieved through the legislative process
The majority opinion stated that legislation is powerless to eradicate social instincts or to abolish distinctions based on physical differences. The Court believed that if the two races were to meet on terms of social equality, it must be the result of natural affinities and voluntary consent.
Keep practicing
More Plessy v. Ferguson questions
- In the decades following Plessy, the 'equal' part of 'separate but equal' was typically:
- The Supreme Court case that finally overturned the 'separate but equal' doctrine in public education was:
- What was the significance of the 1890 Louisiana Separate Car Act in the Plessy case?
- Which of the following best describes the Supreme Court's 'color-blind' interpretation in the late 19th century?
- Justice Brown’s majority opinion claimed that laws requiring segregation did not necessarily imply the inferiority of either race to the ot…
- What was the vote count in the Plessy v. Ferguson decision?