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.
This is a bill from the office of Dr. William H. Boblits, Stenographer, in the court case Martha Stewart v. the Steamer "Sue." The charge of $40.75 was paid by the Reverend Harvey Johnston, an early civil rights leader in Baltimore who formed the civil rights organization United Mutual Brotherhood of Liberty. At that time, the court did not record witness testimony unless a private individual involved in the case paid for a stenographer’s services. Reverend Johnson's involvement suggests the group's actions were part of a protest, an act of civil disobedience, intended to challenge discriminatory laws.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
Full Citation: Stenographer's Bill; 2/27/1885; Martha Stewart v. Steamer "Sue"; Admiralty Case Files, 1790 - 1966; Records of District Courts of the United States, Record Group 21; National Archives at Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/stenographer-bill, May 11, 2024]