Charlotte Dupuy facts for kids

Charlotte Dupuy, also called Lottie (born around 1787-1790, died around 1866), was an enslaved African-American woman. In 1829, she bravely filed a freedom suit to gain her freedom. She sued her enslaver, Henry Clay, who was then the Secretary of State for the United States.

This important court case happened 17 years before the more famous legal challenge by Dred Scott. Charlotte Dupuy was living in Washington, D.C. at the time. She sued for her own freedom and the freedom of her two children. Her claim was based on a promise made by her previous enslaver. Her case was one of many freedom suits filed by enslaved people in the years before the American Civil War.

In 1830, the court ruled against Charlotte Dupuy. However, she had worked for wages for 18 months while the case was decided. She lived in the home of Martin Van Buren, who became the next Secretary of State. Henry Clay had returned to his home in Kentucky in 1829. After the court's decision, Clay sent Dupuy to his daughter's home in New Orleans. She remained enslaved for another ten years.

Finally, in 1840, Henry Clay freed Charlotte Dupuy and her daughter Mary Ann. Four years later, he freed her son Charles Dupuy. By 1860, her husband Aaron Dupuy was listed as a free man. He was living with Charlotte at Ashland, Henry Clay's estate.

Early Life and Moving to Washington

Charlotte Dupuy was born into slavery in Cambridge, Maryland. In 1805, she was brought to Kentucky by a tailor named James Condon. He had bought her as a child. She was born around 1787.

Around 1806, she met and married Aaron Dupuy. Aaron was also enslaved by Henry Clay on his Ashland plantation in Lexington, Kentucky. James Condon sold Charlotte to Henry Clay in May 1806. This might have been so the young couple could live together. Charlotte and Aaron had two children, Charles and Mary Ann Dupuy.

Henry Clay went to Washington, D.C., for his work in Congress in 1810. He took the Dupuy family with him. They lived with Clay and worked in the house he rented. This house was originally built for Stephen Decatur. It was located at Lafayette Square, across from the White House. Today, the Decatur House is a museum and a special historic place.

Fighting for Freedom

Charlotte Dupuy and her family experienced more freedom living in Washington, D.C. They met other enslaved people and took part in city activities. Henry Clay even allowed Charlotte Dupuy to visit her mother and family. After his time in Congress, Henry Clay served as Secretary of State from 1825 to 1829.

In 1829, Clay was getting ready to leave Washington. This was when his time as Secretary of State ended. Charlotte Dupuy then filed a petition to gain her freedom and her children's freedom. She said her mother was free and that her previous enslaver, Condon, had promised to free her and her children. Clay thought his political rivals had convinced her to do this. He decided to fight her case because he was embarrassed by the public attention.

On February 13, 1829, her lawyer, Robert Beale, wrote a petition for her. It asked the judges to stop Clay from taking Charlotte Dupuy out of Washington, D.C. This was important while her lawsuit for freedom was happening. The Court agreed to this request.

Beale argued that Dupuy and her children had a right to be free. This was based on a promise from her former master, James Condon. But they were "now held in a state of slavery by one Henry Clay." Clay wanted to take the Dupuys from Washington and back to Kentucky. There, Beale argued, they would "be held as slaves for life." The Court allowed Charlotte Dupuy to stay in Washington. However, it let Clay take her husband Aaron and children Mary Ann and Charles back to Kentucky.

The Court Case

Charlotte Dupuy was allowed to stay in Washington temporarily. But her main request for freedom was denied. Clay's lawyer showed that Charlotte's mother had been freed after Charlotte was born. This meant it did not affect Charlotte's status as an enslaved person.

Her case was taken seriously. Henry Clay wrote that Dupuy stayed in D.C. "upwards of 18 months" after he left for Kentucky. She was waiting for the trial results. During this time, Clay said she acted as "her own mistress." Dupuy worked for wages for the next Secretary of State, Martin Van Buren. He also lived at Decatur House. Clay's letter shows that Dupuy never wanted to leave D.C. He even wondered, "How shall I now get her ...?" He approved of his agent having Dupuy arrested when she refused to return to Kentucky.

Even though Dupuy was fighting for her freedom, the courts had to treat her as a free person to hear her case. This is because enslaved people usually had no legal standing in court. Such actions started to create opportunities for enslaved people to gain freedom. The Court decided that the agreement between Dupuy and Condon did not apply to new owners. So, they rejected her claim against Clay.

What Happened Next

Clay's agent arranged for Dupuy to be held in prison in Alexandria. Alexandria was part of Washington, D.C., at that time. Clay then decided what to do. He had Dupuy removed from Washington. She was sent to New Orleans to the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Martin Duralde. She remained enslaved there for another ten years.

Finally, on October 12, 1840, Henry Clay freed Charlotte Dupuy and her daughter Mary Ann in New Orleans. He kept her son Charles Dupuy. Charles traveled with Clay to his speaking events. Clay often used Charles as an example of how well he treated enslaved people. Clay eventually freed Charles in 1844.

Charlotte's husband, Aaron Dupuy, was freed either by Clay before he died in 1852, or by Clay's will, or by his family. The couple reunited and lived again in Kentucky. Aaron worked for John M. Clay at Ashland after Henry Clay's death. No official document of freedom was found for Aaron Dupuy. However, the 1860 census shows him and Charlotte Dupuy living together as free people in Fayette County, Kentucky. An obituary for Aaron Dupuy said he died on February 6, 1866. It mentioned he was survived by his wife, but she was not named.

Legacy

• Charlotte Dupuy's fight for freedom is now recognized in new exhibits. These are at the Decatur House, where she lived and worked for almost 20 years. The Decatur House is a National Historic Landmark and a museum.
• The story of Charlotte and Aaron Dupuy is also shared at the Isaac Scott Hathaway Museum in Lexington, Kentucky. You can also find it in their online exhibits.
• Her lawsuit has made Decatur Place an important site. It is part of the historic civil rights movement's "trail" in Washington, D.C.

See also

• Polly Berry
• Lucy Delaney
• List of slaves