Question

question 9 of 10
what argument did plessys legal team make in plessy v. ferguson?

a. plessy was moved to a seat that was equal to the one taken away.

b. making plessy change his seat violated his equal rights under the constitution.

c. plessy should have been considered to be white by the law.

d. making plessy change his seat violated his equal rights under state law.

Explanation:

In the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, Plessy's legal team argued that forcing him to change his seat violated his equal protection rights under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (federal constitutional rights, not just state law). Option A is incorrect as the "separate but equal" doctrine was about facilities being equal in theory, but Plessy's team was arguing the act of segregation itself was a violation. Option C is incorrect as Plessy was of mixed race and the legal question was about segregation, not his racial classification for whiteness. Option D is incorrect because the argument was based on federal constitutional rights (14th Amendment) rather than state law. Option B correctly states that the argument was that making Plessy change his seat violated his equal rights under the Constitution.

Answer:

B. Making Plessy change his seat violated his equal rights under the Constitution.