Texes Social Studies Content Practice Exam

In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the Supreme Court established that separation of students by race, even in equally good schools, is unconstitutional. Which of the following court cases did this Supreme Court decision overturn?

1. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

2. Marbury v. Madison (1803)

3. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

4. Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)

The correct answer is: Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

The Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka fundamentally overturned the precedent established in Plessy v. Ferguson. In 1896, the Plessy decision upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine, which allowed for the existence of separate facilities for different races as long as they were deemed equal. This ruling effectively legitimized state laws that enforced segregation in public facilities, including schools. In contrast, Brown v. Board of Education found that segregating public schools based on race creates a sense of inferiority that affects the motivation of educationally and emotionally ready children. The Court argued that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, thus violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This landmark decision directly challenged and overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine, establishing that segregation in public education is unconstitutional, regardless of the equality of the facilities provided.