Sally Hemings

Sally Hemings was an enslaved woman of African American and European American descent who lived at Monticello, the estate of Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States. She is believed by many historians to have had a long-term romantic relationship with Thomas Jefferson, with whom she had several children, including Madison Hemings, Eston Hemings, and Harriet Hemings. Thomas Jefferson Randolph, a grandson of Thomas Jefferson, and James Callender, a Scottish-American journalist, also played significant roles in her life. Her story has been the subject of much historical debate and DNA analysis, with many experts, including those from the Thomas Jefferson Foundation and the National Genealogical Society, weighing in on the topic.

Early Life

Sally Hemings was born into slavery at Shadwell, Virginia, the daughter of Elizabeth Hemings and possibly John Wayles, making her the half-sister of Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson's wife. She grew up at Monticello, where she was trained as a lady's maid and seamstress, working alongside other enslaved individuals, including James Hemings and Critta Hemings. Her early life was marked by the influences of French culture, which she would have been exposed to through Thomas Jefferson's time in Paris, where he served as the United States Ambassador to France. The French Revolution and its ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity may have also had an impact on her life and the lives of those around her, including Abigail Adams and Benjamin Banneker.

Relationship with Thomas Jefferson

The nature of the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings is a topic of ongoing debate among historians, with some arguing that it was a romantic relationship and others claiming it was a master-slave relationship. Dumas Malone, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, and Fawn Brodie, a biographer, have both written extensively on the topic, citing evidence from Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book and other primary sources, including the writings of James Madison and James Monroe. The Society of the Cincinnati and the American Philosophical Society, both of which Thomas Jefferson was a part of, may have also played a role in shaping his views on slavery and race relations. Thomas Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemings has been compared to that of George Washington and Ona Judge, as well as Patrick Henry and his enslaved servants.

Children and Legacy

Sally Hemings is believed to have had at least six children, including Tom Hemings, Harriet Hemings, Beverly Hemings, Thenia Hemings, Madison Hemings, and Eston Hemings. Her children were born into slavery, but some were able to gain their freedom through manumission or by escaping to the North. Madison Hemings went on to become a carpenter and farmer, and his descendants continue to live in the United States today, including in Ohio and Wisconsin. The Hemings family has been the subject of much research and writing, including by historians such as Annette Gordon-Reed and Henry Wiencek, who have explored the complex genealogy of the family and their connections to other prominent American families, including the Randolph family and the Carter family.

Historical Debate and DNA Evidence

The question of whether Thomas Jefferson fathered Sally Hemings's children has been the subject of much debate among historians, with some arguing that the evidence is circumstantial and others claiming that it is conclusive. In 1998, a DNA study was conducted by Eugene Foster, a geneticist, which found a match between the Y chromosome of Eston Hemings's descendants and that of Field Jefferson, a cousin of Thomas Jefferson. This evidence, combined with historical records and oral tradition, has led many experts, including those from the National Academy of Sciences and the American Historical Association, to conclude that Thomas Jefferson was likely the father of at least some of Sally Hemings's children. The DNA evidence has been compared to that used in other historical cases, including the identification of the Romanov family and the examination of the Zapata remains.

Later Life and Freedom

After Thomas Jefferson's death in 1826, Sally Hemings was informally freed by his daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph, and she went on to live in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she worked as a seamstress and nurse. She died in 1835, and her burial site is unknown, although it is believed to be in the Charlottesville area. Her legacy continues to be felt today, with many regarding her as a symbol of the complexity and contradictions of American history, particularly with regards to slavery and race relations. The Sally Hemings story has been the subject of numerous books, films, and plays, including Barbara Chase-Riboud's novel Sally Hemings and the PBS documentary Jefferson's Blood. Category:Enslaved people in the United States