In Plessy v. Ferguson, which amendments were argued to be violated by segregation?

• A. First and Second.
• B. Thirteenth and Fourteenth.
• C. Fourth and Fifth.
• D. Ninth and Tenth.

Answer: (C)

The challenge to segregation in Plessy v. Ferguson rested on protections that guard against slavery-like conditions and ensure equal treatment under the law. The arguments claimed that forcing racial separation in public facilities violated the Thirteenth Amendment, which bans slavery and involuntary servitude, by perpetuating a social order that treated Black people as subservient. They also argued it violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, which requires states to treat people equally under the law. The other listed amendments don’t address segregation in public accommodations: the Fourth and Fifth relate to due process and rights in criminal procedure, while the Ninth and Tenth concern unenumerated rights and state powers. So the amendments invoked were the Thirteenth and Fourteenth.