18 May 1896
Court decisionSupplement
Plessy v. Ferguson upholds racial segregation
United States; Black people
The Supreme Court upheld Louisiana’s segregated rail system, legitimizing legally enforced racial separation under the separate-but-equal doctrine. The decision reinforced Jim Crow across public life.
Dates preserve the source’s precision. This entry is part of a selected historical record; its qualifications and sources are retained below.
Context / qualification
The particular case concerned railway segregation; its influence extended further.