GACE Elementary Education Practice Exam - Prep & Study Guide

The doctrine of "separate but equal" was established by the court case Plessy vs Ferguson in 1896. This landmark Supreme Court decision upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities, as long as the segregated facilities were considered to be equal in quality. The case arose when Homer Plessy, an African American, was arrested for sitting in a whites-only railway car, challenging Louisiana's segregation laws.

The ruling effectively provided legal support for the continued segregation of races in various public domains, including schools, transportation, and other public services, until it was ultimately overturned by later cases. The "separate but equal" doctrine became a cornerstone of Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States for decades to come. Thus, the significance of Plessy vs Ferguson in establishing this legal doctrine has had lasting impacts on civil rights in America.