Which United States Supreme Court decision was based on the Equal Protection Clause?

The decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) is fundamentally tied to the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This case addressed the legality of racial segregation in public facilities under the doctrine of "separate but equal." The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial segregation in public transportation systems, ruling that segregated facilities did not violate the Equal Protection Clause as long as they were equal in quality.

This landmark decision effectively legitimized racial segregation and set a precedent that would persist for decades until it was overturned by later cases, such as Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Understanding the context and implications of the Plessy v. Ferguson decision is critical when discussing the evolution of civil rights and the interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause in American law.