V004 – Interview with Zacharie Kinslow
Year(s) Discussed: 1795-1891
On the anniversary of James K Polk’s death, I spoke with Zacharie Kinslow of the President James K Polk Home and Museum in Columbia, TN about the 11th President and his wife Sarah Childress Polk. Zach also shares his research on the life of Elias Polk, an enslaved individual whose life after attaining freedom following the Civil War provides insight into life for African-Americans in the Reconstruction Era and the Gilded Age. Images used for this episode as well as links to Zach’s article on Elias and video of a presentation at a conference on Polk can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com.
Special thanks to Zach for sharing his time and insight with us! To learn more about Zach’s work on Elias Polk:
- “James K Polk: Ancestry, Politics, & Policies.” C-SPAN. 12 Apr 2019. https://www.c-span.org/video/?459435-3/james-k-polk-ancestry-politics-policies
- Kinslow, Zacharie. “Enslaved and Entrenched: The Complex Life of Elias Polk.” White House Historical Association. 2018. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/enslaved-and-entrenched
Featured Images: “Zacharie Kinslow” and “Elias Polk”, courtesy of Zacharie Kinslow
