Which case established the 'separate but equal' doctrine, later overturned by Brown v. Board of Education?

Which case established the 'separate but equal' doctrine, later overturned by Brown v. Board of Education?

• A. It established 'separate but equal' doctrine.
• B. It overruled separate but equal.
• C. It declared segregation unconstitutional.
• D. It addressed the right to vote.

Answer: (A)

The main concept here is understanding where the idea of “separate but equal” came from. A 1896 Supreme Court ruling established that racial segregation was permissible as long as the separate facilities were considered equal in quality. This ruling gave legal cover to Jim Crow laws and allowed state-sponsored segregation to persist in public facilities, including schools. That is why this case is the best answer: it is the case that first established the doctrine.

Brown v. Board of Education later overturned this premise, holding that segregation itself is inherently unequal and thus unconstitutional in public schools. The other descriptions don’t capture the origin of the doctrine: one states it was overruled, another says segregation was declared unconstitutional (that’s Brown’s role), and another addresses voting rights, which is unrelated to the establishment of the doctrine.