Final answer:
The 'Jim Crow' laws were an example of de jure segregation, legally mandating the separation of races in public life. These laws were maintained under the 'separate but equal' doctrine until challenged by the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.
Step-by-step explanation:
The "Jim Crow" laws, which mandated separate facilities for whites and blacks, were an example of de jure segregation. These laws required the separation of races in many aspects of life, including schools, public transportation, restaurants, and even public restrooms. Despite the doctrine of "separate but equal", facilities for African Americans were typically inferior. The segregation laws were upheld by the 1896 Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson, affirming that separate facilities were constitutional as long as they were deemed equal. This legal discrimination continued until the mid-20th century when the Supreme Court, through the Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954, declared that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, paving the way for the end of official segregation.