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Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark Supreme Court case upholding the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial segregation in private businesses (particularly railroads), under the doctrine of "separate but equal". Although Plessy was born a free person and was one-eighth black and seven-eighths white, under a Louisiana law enacted in 1890, he was classified as black, and thus required to sit in the "coloreds" car. Plessy refused and was arrested. The Court rejected Plessy's arguments.
