Posted on 02/21/2017 2:26:51 AM PST by iowamark
A $35 million restoration of Monticello is underway, but it's what's been buried under a restroom there for nearly 80 years that's been attracting the most attention of late: the bedroom of Sally Hemings, one of President Thomas Jefferson's slaves and the mother of six children who historians suspect were his, the Washington Post reports. The WWII-era bathroom that was apparently built over where Hemings slept, close to Jefferson's own bedroom, has been slowly pulled apart by archaeologists based on coordinates provided by the third president's own grandson. The work is revealing the 18th-century plaster walls and brick floor, and peeling back the cover-up of a long-hidden (but well-known) secret of Jefferson's longtime relationship with Hemings.
USA Today explains it's all part of the Mountaintop Project, an ambitious initiative to bring the former Virginia plantation back to how "Jefferson knew it," and to showcase more stories of those who lived on the estate—both free residents and slaves, of which the author of the Declaration of Independence owned hundreds. Hemings, believed to have been a nursemaid for the president's daughter, then a regular Monticello maid, is rumored to be the daughter of Jefferson's father-in-law. Once the room (set to be open to the public next year) is fully restored, it will be furnished with artifacts from the Jefferson-Hemings period. A philanthropist who's donated money to various Monticello projects says bringing people to such historic landmarks means you have to "show them what it was really like. … The good and bad of history." (The UVa community pleaded with its president to not quote Jefferson.)
I went on the tour at Monticello too, and the tour was “all slavery all the time”. When question and answer time came I asked the tour guide if they were ever going to mention that Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence or that Thomas Jefferson was the third president. Even worse was the room with busts and paintings of famous people of Jefferson’s era. The tour guide condescendingly asked if anyone knew who they were. When no one else responded I named all of them. Then she actually said, “oh, you must have been on the tour before.” I said, “no, I’m educated.” Then she said, “you must have studied history.” “No, my degree is in engineering.” Horrible tour with snotty, condescending tour guides who treat everyone like they’re stupid. They should rename the Monticello tour The Sally Hemings Unsubstantiated Heritage Tour. How embarrassing that our nation’s history is treated in this manner. Can you imagine what foreign visitors must think? For better tours go to Mount Vernon and Booker T. Washington’s birthplace.
If you have time, I would recommend to you to read the extensive research report done by Monticello about the whole question of Sally Hemmings. Jefferson kept extremely detailed dairies about the running of the plantation so that we know exactly when he was in Virginia. In those notes are dates when each of Sally’s children were born, which allows the possibility of tracing back to conception. Mr. Thomas Jefferson was the only Jefferson male present for each of those times. There is a lot of other information as well.
What I was stunned to learn is that Sally Hemmings was Jefferson’s wife half sister! Her mother was the concubine of her father and that had been the situation in that slave family for a couple generations so that Sally was actually mostly of Caucasian ancestry. But the laws of Virginia forbid her to be listed as such because her mother was a slave. So contrary to TV presentations, Sally did not have the appearance of being a slave. When she was freed and lived in her own home after Jefferson’s death, the census listed her as white - as were several of her sons.
That’s funny. We went there a while back and our guide barely mentioned the slavery stuff. Hemings name was mentioned as a trusted servant and nothing else.
The guide was a black gentleman who was extremely knowledgeable regarding the President and his home.
I was expecting what you experienced and was pleased to not get it.
back in the day, Jefferson’s enemies used the rumor to disparage Jefferson.
Sally Hemings was never “freed”. She was not given her freedom in Jefferson’s will as were two of her sons. Martha Randolph (Jefferson’s daughter) put Sally “on her own time”, meaning she essentially retired her from working. Late in 1826 Sally was allowed to leave Monticello without being pursued. That meant that she could leave and no effort to would be made to return her to Monticello. This is how two of her daughters were allowed to leave Monticello some years earlier. Sally moved in with two of her sons, that lived near Charlottesville. She would remain there until her death in 1835
I have read that during the time of the DNA testing of the Hemming’s descendants at best the accuracy was such that it could be narrowed down TJ & his brothers. Edmund being the likely culprit since he was known at the time as one who “squired around with and sampled the charms of the local servant class”. As far as I have read, which is about ever historically “legitimate” book on Thomas Jefferson, TJ didn’t have a “local” reputation for doing that.
I vote Edmund! Due to the DNA and local lore.
In 1802, an article in a Richmond, VA insinuated that Sally Hemings was Jefferson’s concubine and that he had fathers a child with her.
Thomas Jefferson only brother to survive childhood his younger brother Randolph Jefferson.
They are not celebrating Jefferson, they are celebrating the slave and by extension criticizing Jefferson by emphasizing his slave holding.
It’s terribly ironic that the author of the Declaration of Independence owned slaves.
Everyone, family, friends, neighbors, visitors, knew that the Jefferson family was fathering children with the slave girls. Abigail Adams foresaw what was going to happen as soon as she met Sally. Thomas Jefferson allowed Sally's children to go free even though he was very deeply in debt at the time, a remarkable thing.
close to 700 of them over his lifetime
Juan Williams look alike. LOL!
Studies of the dates of Jefferson’s travels indicate that he was present at the times of the conceptions of Sally’s six children. That is generally what has tipped historical opinion in favor of Thomas Jefferson’s parentage. That is not proof, however.
https://www.monticello.org/site/plantation-and-slavery/thomas-jefferson-and-sally-hemings-brief-account
“Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings: A Brief Account”
Exactly. Forget everything else about the man. He was a slave owner and sired his slave. However, I thought that the Henning’s DNA did match with the Jefferson decendents, but Jefferson had a brother, and not sure if he had kids, so how is it that they know it’s Jefferson and not the brother?
They don't, but they can't make the entire life of one of our most respected founding fathers all about owning slaves if it was his brother so that's not mentioned.
Timing and the visitors records at Monticello. In all cases except one Randolph was not at Monticello at the time Hemings got pregnant. Thomas Jefferson was present at Monticello each time Hemings got pregnant.
Funny; I remember brick rooms painted white, and attached to the lower level of the main house, near the kitchens and with doors on the side of the vast gardens.
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