Julia Chinn: Richard M. Johnson's Black Wife

Amrita Chakrabarti Myers examines the lifelong and complicated relationship of Julia Chinn, an enslaved woman, and Richard Mentor Johnson, a powerful Kentucky politician, who served as U.S. congressman, senator, and one-term Vice President, and was also a white man and her enslaver.

Her book, The Vice President's Black Wife: The Untold Life of Julia Chinn, portrays Johnson as viewing Chinn as his common-law wife, although he never gave Chinn her freedom; she gave birth to two daughters, who were well educated and who both married white men. Johnson entrusted Chinn to manage his extensive farm enterprises and the Choctaw Academy, located in Scott County, while he was in Washington fulfilling his congressional duties.

This program is in partnership with Scott County Historical Society.  Books will be available for sale.