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 idea here is how the Equal Protection Clause was interpreted to allow racial segregation through a “separate but equal” standard, and how that standard was later rejected. Plessy v. Ferguson established that doctrine in 1896, ruling that state laws mandating racial segregation were permissible as long as the separate facilities provided for different races were equal in quality. This decision gave legal cover to widespread segregation for decades.

Brown v. Board of Education overturned that framework by declaring that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, and thus unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause. So, the option that says the case established the “separate but equal” doctrine correctly identifies the case that created the doctrine. The other options describe actions that Brown took (overruling or declaring segregation unconstitutional) or touch on voting rights, which aren’t about the origin of the doctrine.