Elias Polk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elias Polk
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Illustration from the Daily American newspaper, published in Nashville on December 31, 1886
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| Born | 1806 |
| Died | December 30, 1886 (aged 79–80) Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Resting place | Nashville City Cemetery |
| Occupation | political activist |
| Spouse(s) | 3, including Mary Polk |
Elias Polk (1806 – December 30, 1886) was an African American man who was enslaved by President James K. Polk and his family. He was born into slavery and remained enslaved until 1865. After gaining his freedom, Elias became a political activist for the Democratic Party. This was unusual because most formerly enslaved people joined the Republican Party at that time.
Elias lived and worked in many places while enslaved. These included the Polk family farm in Maury County, Tennessee, the home of James and Sarah Polk in Columbia, Tennessee, and even the White House in 1845. He also lived at the Polks' Nashville home, "Polk Place," from 1849 to 1865. After President Polk died, Elias continued to be enslaved by the former First Lady, Sarah Childress Polk.
Once Elias became free, he started giving public speeches. He supported the Democratic Party and spoke on behalf of former slave owners. This choice helped him survive and find work. Elias is remembered for his unique political views. He found ways to use the social rules of the time to his own advantage.
Contents
Early Life and Enslavement
Elias Polk was born into slavery in 1806 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He and his mother were enslaved by Samuel Polk, who was a surveyor. When Elias was less than a year old, the Polk family moved west. They took the people they enslaved with them to the Duck River Valley in Middle Tennessee.
On this new farm, in what became Maury County, Elias grew up. He worked as a "mill boy." His job was to take grains and other farm products to local mills. There, they would be turned into flour or meal.
Working for James K. Polk
In 1824, Samuel Polk gave Elias to his son, James K. Polk. This was a gift when James married Sarah Childress. Elias was about 18 years old at the time. While with James and Sarah, Elias worked as a "body servant," or personal helper, and "coachman" for James in Columbia, Tennessee.
When James Polk became President in 1845, he arranged for Elias Polk to work at the White House. Elias helped with the household duties. However, Elias's time in Washington, D.C., was short. He was sent to work for a lawyer named James H. Thomas from 1846 to 1847.
Elias stayed in Maury County, working for Thomas, until 1847. Then, Thomas was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Elias's work contract was then moved to a "Mr. Matthews" at the Nelson's House Hotel in Columbia, Tennessee. Elias stayed there until 1849.
In 1849, the Polks returned to Tennessee after James's presidency ended. Elias was brought to Nashville to work at their mansion, Polk Place. He continued to be an enslaved domestic servant for James and Sarah Polk.
President Polk died on June 15, 1849. This was only three months after he left office. From that time until slavery ended in 1865, Elias Polk remained enslaved by the widowed former First Lady, Sarah Childress Polk.
Life After Slavery
After the 13th Amendment passed and slavery ended in the U.S., Elias began a public speaking career. He became active in the Democratic Party. He chose to support the party that included many former slave owners. This was an unusual choice. Most freedmen (formerly enslaved people) joined the Republican Party.
In 1867, Polk was chosen as the president of the "Independent Colored Conservative National Club." In June 1867, he spoke at a meeting with other important figures. Polk asked for peace and understanding between Black and white people. He also suggested that a new federal tax on cotton hurt African Americans.
Historian Zacharie W. Kinslow explains Elias's choices. He says Elias was illiterate, about 60 years old, and Black after the Civil War. His options were very limited. Elias chose economic stability and personal safety. He did not choose to fight for Civil Rights for African Americans. This was a decision for survival within the Southern social system.
Later Years and Death
From 1871 to 1876, Polk worked as a porter, or custodian, at the Tennessee Senate in Nashville. He then moved back to Washington, D.C. He worked as a "laborer" at the United States Capitol from 1876 to 1882.
After returning to Nashville, Polk traveled back to Washington, D.C., a few years later. There, he met President Grover Cleveland just three days before his own death.
Elias Polk was married twice. His first wife, Harriet James, died shortly after their wedding. His second wife, Mary Mansfield, worked at the U.S. Capitol. They met in Washington and married in Davidson County, Tennessee, in the 1880s. Mary was 41 years younger than Elias.
Elias Polk died on December 30, 1886, in a hotel room in Washington, D.C. He was in debt when he died. His wife, Mary, had to mortgage her home and carriage to pay off his debts. This meant she did not have enough money to bring Elias's body back to Nashville for burial.
Finally, in February 1887, three months after his death, Elias's body was returned to Nashville. A funeral was held at Clark's Chapel. He was buried in the Nashville City Cemetery.
Legacy
Zacharie Kinslow of the James K. Polk Ancestral Home says that Elias Polk went from being enslaved in the White House to becoming a very talked-about African-American political activist. Journalist Jesse J. Holland, who wrote a book about enslaved people in the White House, said that today, some might call Polk an "Uncle Tom" because he seemed to side with the powerful. But Holland added that this was how Polk felt and chose to live.
