Question

Describe how the cases of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) illustrate how a Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Constitution can change over time.

Answer 1

Explanation: On May 18, 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson ruled that separate-but-equal facilities were constitutional. The Plessy v. Ferguson decision upheld the principle of racial segregation over the next half-century. In 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously strikes down segregation in public schools, sparking the Civil Rights movement. A watershed moment for desegregation, Brown v. Board did not instantly desegregate schools. Board of Education ruling did little on the community level to achieve the goal of desegregationFerguson, Judgement, Decided May 18, 1896; Records of the Supreme Court of the United States; Record Group 267; Plessy v. Ferguson, 163, #15248, National Archives. The ruling in this Supreme Court case upheld a Louisiana state law that allowed for "equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races."