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Title
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Charlotte Dupuy
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Creator
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Charlotte Dupuy
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Description
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Charlotte Dupuy was an enslaved African American woman owned by Congressman and Secretary of State Henry Clay. Clay, with Dupuy and her family, lived in Lafayette Square, just north of the White House. In 1829, Dupuy sued Clay for her freedom and the freedom of her children. The circuit court decided against Dupuy, and she was forcibly removed to Clay's Kentucky estate.
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Coverage
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1800-1829
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birthday
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c.1787
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Birthplace
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Cambridge, Maryland
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Death Date
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c.1866
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Biographical Text
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Charlotte Dupuy was born into slavery. In 1806, she was purchased by Henry Clay after marrying a man enslaved on his plantation. When Clay was elected to Congress, Dupuy and her family moved with him to Washington DC, residing at Decatur House on Lafayette Square.
In 1829, Dupuy sued Clay, then Secretary of State, for her freedom and the freedom of her children. As Clay's tenure in Washington ended before the case was decided, Dupuy remained at Decatur House, employed by the new Secretary of State, Martin van Buren.
In 1830, the US Circuit Court for the District of Columbia decided against Dupuy and she was forcibly removed to Clay's Kentucky estate. Clay freed Dupuy and her daughter in 1840, and she lived out the rest of her life as a free woman in Kentucky.
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Source
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National Archives, digitized by White House Historical Association. View original document.
