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AAS/EN 4343
Studies in African American Literature
Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson: Relations between Master and Slave
By: Audrie Sifford and Taylor Sims
Who are Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson?
Appearance in Clotel; Public Views
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.
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.
Source: The Reagan Library Education Blog
Source: Monticello.org
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.
Source:
Documenting the
American South
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-kidsseries-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.
Studies in African American Literature
Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson: Relations between Master and Slave
By: Audrie Sifford and Taylor Sims
Who are Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson?
Appearance in Clotel; Public Views
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.
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.
Source: The Reagan Library Education Blog
Source: Monticello.org
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.
Source:
Documenting the
American South
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-kidsseries-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.