Biography · Biography & Culture

Ellen Barnes McGinnis

1842–1890

United States

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Biography

Ellen Barnes McGinnis (1842 – December 12, 1890) was an enslaved woman known for being the housemaid to Varina Davis, the First Lady of the Confederacy. After gaining her freedom, McGinnis and her husband relocated to Baltimore.

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Sources & collection details

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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