The South Asian Mistress of Aaron Burr
Mary Emmons was an Indian woman who eventually settled on the other side of the world and had two children with Aaron Burr.
Mary Emmons
Born in Calcutta, India, Mary Emmons' given name is unknown.
She left Asia as a teenager and sailed to the West Indies where she changed her name to Eugenie Beauharnais.
Little is known about Mary during these early years, including how she afforded travel, but it is certain that by 1782 she had moved to New York and began working for a British Officer named Jacques Marcus Prevost.
This is when she changed her name to Mary Emmons.
The Prevost’s
Emmons worked as a servant in the Prevost house until his death.
His wife, Theodosia, quickly married a young Patriot she was already carrying on an affair with...Aaron Burr.
Mary moved into the Burr household and worked for the family throughout Aaron’s political rise. She also became his mistress.
Babies With Burr
Both Theodosia and Mary would have multiple children with Burr, each having a baby in 1788.
When Aaron became a US Senator, Emmons moved to Philadelphia with him while Theodosia stayed in New York.
While there, Mary gave birth to their second child.
Ignored Children
Interestingly, Aaron Burr never acknowledged these kids as his own despite having several illegitimate children he did recognize.
It is difficult to determine why this is, though Theodosia was dying from stomach cancer by the time the second child was born, so that might have something to do with it.
The one accommodation he did make was to give the boy a plot of land in New York.
What is extremely interesting about the whole senario is that Aaron Burr was very forward thinking when it came to women and people of color. As an Assemblyman in New York, he had proposed bills for the immediate emancipation of slaves and to give women the right to vote.
Additionally, he provided his first daughter with an education that rivaled that of most men.
Underground Decedents
Mary and Aaron’s two children grew up as Indian Americans at a time when there were very few Asians living in the United States.
Louisa Charlotte Burr and John Pierre Burr both married into Philadelphia’s Free Black community.
John would become a prominent abolitionist who is well known for his home becoming a major stop on the Underground Railroad.
Read about some other Founding Mothers here:
Mercy Otis Warren Scribbles Her Way Into History
Elizabeth Lewis Stands Confidently Against the British
Deborah Sampson Drags Herself to War
Patience Wright Waxes the King
To learn more about this fascinating story check out the book by Susan Holloway Scott.
If you’d like a copy you can pick one up through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same).
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