Baltimore & the Fifteenth Amendment, May 19, 1870
An Interactive Historical Investigation by David Troy © 1996
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ISAAC
MYERS Entrepreneur, community leader, and a key organizer of the Republican party in Maryland. He was the president of the 15th Amendment celebration in Baltimore. He was also a founder of and an officer in the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company of Baltimore, MD. |
| ISAAC MYERS was a caulker by trade, responsible for sealing the hulls of sailing vessels. Born in 1835, he grew up in Baltimore and received a common school education. By the time he was 20 years old, he was supervising the caulking of some of the largest clipper ships being built in the city. In 1865, racial hostilities caused blacks to believe they might lose their jobs. Myers emerged as the leader of the 15 men who organized the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company. The company operated until 1884 when it could no longer remain competitive to more automated houses. Because of Myers' active support of the Republican party, he received several government appointments. He remained active in politics until his death in 1891. Perhaps his greatest legacy is his belief that political equality would ultimately come from economic opportunity. Summarized from: The Baltimore Book, pp. 128-129. |
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