Final answer:
The 1883 Civil Rights Cases by the Supreme Court provided a constitutional foundation for state-sanctioned segregation, allowing private racial discrimination and leading to the establishment of Jim Crow laws.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ruling by the Supreme Court in the 1883 Civil Rights Cases declared the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional. This Act had prohibited racial discrimination in public accommodations and services. The Court's decision established a constitutional foundation for state-sanctioned segregation and the legitimacy of private acts of racial discrimination. This decision undermined federal efforts to ensure equal rights for African Americans, paving the way for the enactment of Jim Crow laws that institutionalized segregation and discrimination in many states.
Essentially, the Supreme Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment prohibited state governments, but not private citizens or organizations, from discriminating based on race. Thus, private businesses were free to practice racial discrimination. This interpretation allowed states to pass laws that required or permitted discrimination in public facilities and accommodations.