The Lucy was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1869. The case involved a dispute between the owners of the Lucy, a vessel, and the owners of the cargo it was carrying. The owners of the Lucy had contracted with the owners of the cargo to transport it from New York to Liverpool. However, the Lucy was damaged during the voyage and the cargo was lost. The owners of the cargo sued the owners of the Lucy for damages. The Supreme Court held that the owners of the Lucy were not liable for the loss of the cargo. The Court reasoned that the owners of the Lucy had taken all reasonable precautions to protect the cargo and that the loss was due to an act of God, which was beyond their control. The Court also held that the owners of the cargo had not proven that the owners of the Lucy had been negligent in their duties. Therefore, the owners of the Lucy were not liable for the loss of the cargo.

In the case of The Lucy, a majority opinion was reached that held that an African-American woman named Lucy could not be considered a citizen and therefore did not have standing to sue in federal court. However, Justice Field dissented from this decision and argued that Congress had already granted citizenship to all persons born in the United States regardless of race or color. He further noted that if any doubt remained as to whether such persons were citizens then it should be resolved by interpreting the Constitution liberally so as to extend its protections equally among all people. In conclusion, he stated his belief that denying Lucy her right to bring suit would lead only “to injustice” and urged his colleagues on the Court “not [to] shut our eyes against what is passing around us every day."