In August 1884, a group of black residents of Baltimore purchased first-class tickets to board the Steamer Sue. About an hour into the voyage in the waters between Maryland and Virginia, they were told that they were not allowed in the first-class cabin because ship’s regulations prohibited African Americans in that part of the vessel. When they returned to Baltimore they filed a lawsuit against the Baltimore, Chesapeake, and Richmond Steamboat Company.
In her testimony in court, Martha Stewart, one of the passengers, described the accomodations on board the Steamer Sue.
This document comes from the set of transcriptions of the examinations and cross-examinations of the witnesses in the case.
