In which case did the Supreme Court uphold the 'separate but equal' doctrine?

The correct answer is Plessy v. Ferguson, where the Supreme Court established the 'separate but equal' doctrine. This landmark decision was issued in 1896, affirming that racial segregation was constitutional as long as the separate facilities provided for each race were considered equal. The case involved Homer Plessy, an African American man who was arrested for sitting in a whites-only railroad car in Louisiana.

The ruling essentially provided legal justification for racial segregation for many decades. It reinforced discriminatory practices by upholding the idea that segregation did not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, leading to systemic racism and the institutionalization of discriminatory laws across the United States.

This case set a precedent that was eventually challenged and overturned by later decisions, including Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which ruled that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. Understanding the implications of Plessy v. Ferguson is crucial for recognizing how legal frameworks can perpetuate inequality and the long fight for civil rights that followed.