Elizabeth Jennings, a young African-American woman, was assaulted by a streetcar conductor in New York City in 1854 for refusing to leave a horse car due to her skin color. Her father, Thomas L. Jennings, a successful tailor and abolitionist, took her case to the Supreme Court, arguing that public conveyances were liable for the actions of their employees. The court ruled in their favor, setting a precedent for the rights of African-Americans to ride public transportation in New York State.
[... more]