Varina Howell Davis, wife of Jefferson Davis and First Lady of the Confederacy played the part well. She was educated, graceful, the picture of antebellum perfection. She hosted elegant soirees at the Confederate white house in Richmond, Virginia and managed a household of around 20 workers, black and white, enslaved and free. But Varina, when examined closely, was not what she seemed. In writing, she referred to herself as a “half-breed” born of the North and of the South. Her political loyalties were suspect as she found herself torn between both causes. And her dark skin and hair. What was that about? People whispered behind closed doors. Was the First Lady of the Confederacy… could she possibly be… Black? Let’s fix that.

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Sources: 

• Encyclopedia Virginia "Varina Davis"
• Washington Post "Jim Limber: the myth of Jefferson Davis' adopted Black son"
• Clark University "The Forefathers of the English People"

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