He Became the Nation’s Ninth Vice President. She Was His Enslaved Wife.

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Fascinating story. Not covered in my childhood civics classes.

He Became the Nation’s Ninth Vice President. She Was His Enslaved Wife.

Her name was Julia Chinn, and her role in Richard Mentor Johnson’s life caused a furor when the Kentucky Democrat was chosen as Martin Van Buren’s running mate in 1836.

getpocket.com

 

[slip]

The older I get the more I appreciate the Elementary and High School education I received. I see many stories like these and like this one, they were taught at my school. Interesting stuff.

 

[pedro47]

Great piece of forgotten history.

 

[susieq]

Interesting!!

 

[Brett]

Don't remember this from school but in Virginia mixed race marriages weren't legal until 1967

 

[rickandcindy23]

There is only one human race. We are from different countries and cultures, different in only minor characteristics, but we are human.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Don't remember this from school but in Virginia mixed race marriages weren't legal until 1967

That occurred to me as well. It strikes me that having the wedding in the black community was making the marriage as legitimate as it could possibly. The story seems to pose the question of why he didn't emancipate and then marry her as a freed woman? But he couldn't do that and have it be a recognized marriage because of anti-miscegenation laws.

And here's another thought I had. At the time, there were people who would kidnap freed slaves and sell them back into slavery in another state. If he emancipated her but couldn't marry her, he would have little legal standing to keep her from being sold back into slavery. But if she remained his "slave", he could assure her safety.

 

[Passepartout]

Slavery was a shameful chapter in American- and World- history. We are still living with the repercussions up to and including the 3/5ths of a human business that has resulted in the Electoral College. We are ALL 100 percent human and equal in the eyes of our creator and the rest of the world.