The First Civil Rights Trial in Indianapolis

In 1866 the United States Congress passed the country's first Civil Rights Act, which in addition to establishing rights of citizenship, it also reinforced many basic rights for African Americans, including being able to provide testimony in court, and to sue a white person. In 1866, using this law, two men, Mumford Harris and William Nichols, challenged a policy of the Indianapolis streetcar company which banned African American men to ride inside the car. Instead, they were forced to stand on exterior platforms, no matter the weather. This podcast episode explores the trial of this case.

Class 900 Indy Blog Post: The Indianapolis Civil Rights Trial which Challenged the Street Railway Company

Information about the Civil Rights Act of 1866 can be found here.

Cover image is the headline from the Indianapolis Herald for its report on the Harris/Nichols trial on June 29, 1866.

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