"The Vice President's Black Wife" is one of the more interesting books I have found in some time relating to presidential (or vice presidential) history. This one starts out with a bang and keeps going. Author Amrita Chakrabarti Myers goes down a rabbit hole that gets more interesting with each chapter... and at the end, more rabbit holes are revealed.
Kentucky has only had a few sons that have gone on to be VP (Richard Johnson, Alben Barkley, and John Breckenridge). Well, Richard Johnson was (and still is) very controversial.
During a time when interracial relationships were very much frowned upon in society (think 1830s and the next few decades) this politician had a black wife.... who was also owned by him as a slave. Let that sink in for a while.
At first one might view Johnson as a progressive individual, way ahead of his time... but proceed with cation. The author of this book uncovers some letters and possible evidence that several of his young female slaves were partners/wives at various times, and he had children with them. Some close to the situation reported that one wife (and children she had with Johnson) were sold by him.
I know, I know, you probably have many questions right now. Amrita goes after the answers in this one. Had he REALLY married his slaves? What happened to the descendants? How had a Kentuckian, living openly with a Black wife (and their daughters) advanced to the office of VP?
The author covers this area, while also (and mainly) trying to investigate who Julia Chinn was and why she is important. Why is it that the wife of a United State Vice President is in an unknown burial spot?
Get cozy for this one, and read slow. There is a lot going on in this volume.
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