Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson: Relations between Master and Slave

Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson: Relations between Master and Slave

by Audrie Sifford and Taylor Sims

Who are Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson?

Thomas Jefferson is one of the most renowned Founding Fathers of The United States. His legacy includes writing the Declaration of Independence and eventually becoming President. However, while Jefferson was writing and speaking about freedom, he was also, paradoxically, an enslaver. One of the enslaved was Sally Hemings. Sally Hemings was the daughter of John Wayles and Elizabeth Hemings. Elizabeth was enslaved by John Wayles. John Wayles was also the father of Martha Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson’s legal wife. This makes Sally Hemings and Martha Jefferson half-sisters (Monticello). Jefferson inherited Sally Hemings through his father-in-law after his death. In 1784, Jefferson was called to Paris as diplomat to France. His two youngest daughters joined him. One of them, named Mary, was accompanied by Sally Hemings. At the time Hemings was 14 years old and Jefferson was 41. Jefferson’s wife had died two years earlier. It was at Monticello that their relationship commenced. Some sources state that their relationship lasted decades and that Jefferson held a special affection for her. However, most scholars agree it is difficult to conclude what the actual nature of their relationship was because Hemings left no records.

Rumors Surrounding Their Relationship

For much of history, the relationship between Jefferson and Hemings has faced scrutiny. Jan Ellen Lewis and Peter Onuf illustrate that many biographers and historians have dismissed the relationship as much as possible: "Among historians... most of those who have written about Jefferson and Hemings have cast doubt upon the likelihood of a sexual relationship" (2). During Jefferson's own time, the relationship, now confirmed by DNA evidence, was often used as a political attack. However, even through modern historians attempts to cover it up, at the time of their relationship, Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson were often discussed. As Annette Gordon-Reed states, ”…rumors among the Virginia gentry that Jefferson and Hemings were lovers. The rumors exploded onto the national scene during the early part of Jefferson’s first term as president” (Gordon-Reed 7). According to Gordon-Reed and other sources, James Callender was one of the figures who largely opposed their relationship. He was a journalist and consistently attacked both Hemings and Jefferson in his writing. The relationship between the two was a useful tool for Jefferson’s rivals during the months leading up to his presidency. While we do not know the actual nuances of their relationship, we do understand that there was definitely a power imbalance between the two. Hemings was not only much younger, but she was also enslaved by Jefferson. Hemings had 6 children with Jefferson. Some were freed by Jefferson himself. Others were freed by his will. Hemings herself was never legally freed by Jefferson. She was freed by Jefferson’s daughter, Martha, after Jefferson’s death.

Appearance in Clotel; Public Views

William Wells Brown, the first published African American author and writer of Clotel, was a contemporary of Thomas Jefferson. As a member of the public and a former enslaved person, he brought a unique view to the discourse surrounding Hemings and Jefferson. In the novel Clotel, he highlights the inhumanities of slavery, and Clotel, the fictionalized daughter of Hemings and Jefferson, is an excellent vehicle for this. Brown says: "Thus closed a negro sale, at which two daughters of Thomas Jefferson, the writer of the Declaration of American Independence, and one of the presidents of the great republic, were disposed of to the highest bidder (Brown 49). Brown highlights the disparity between ideals and reality. Throughout Clotel, he uses the titular character's ancestry to show that the institution of slavery corrupted everything, even things Americans at the time supposedly viewed as important, like their political leaders and their founding political documents, which promised life and liberty for all.

Works Cited

“Sally Hemings: Life of Sally Hemings.” Sally Hemings | Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, www.monticello.org/sallyhemings/.

“‘White House Kids’ Series – the Jefferson-Hemings Four.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, reagan.blogs.archives.gov/2023/04/03/white-house-kids-series-the-jefferson-hemings-four/.

Lewis, Jan, and Peter S. Onuf. Sally Hemings & Thomas Jefferson: History, Memory, and Civic Culture. University Press of Virginia, 2001.

Gordon-Reed, Annette. Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy. University Press of Virginia, 1997.