What was the significance of the Plessy v. Ferguson case?

The significance of the Plessy v. Ferguson case lies in its establishment of the "separate but equal" doctrine, which became a legal basis for racial segregation in the United States. Decided in 1896, the Supreme Court ruled that racially separate facilities for African Americans and whites were constitutional as long as they were deemed equal in quality. This decision provided a judicial endorsement for the segregation laws that proliferated across the Southern states and contributed to the institutionalization of racial discrimination and inequality. The "separate but equal" principle effectively legitimized a wide range of discriminatory practices that would persist for decades until they were challenged and ultimately overturned by later rulings, such as Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Understanding this case is crucial as it highlights the legal framework that permitted segregation and the civil rights struggles that emerged in response.