For over 200 years, rumors of swirled around Thomas Jefferson’s name about torrid love affairs first with a married artist in Paris, and later with his slave Sally Hemings. Sally, who happened to be his wife’s half-sister, has been the center of much controversy, especially after her descendants began to publicize their potential connection to the President. Many historians found every reason to disprove the paternal connection, but it’s hard to prove a negative – to be definitive, you have to prove an alternative storyline. Regardless of the parentage of the Hemings descendants, one true question will always remain: was Sally little more than a concubine for the powerful man, or was she his soul mate?
Annette Gordon-Reed explores this question and more in Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy. Writing as a historian and a lawyer, Gordon-Reed provides evidence and arguments for her point of view on the matter. This work served as a catalyst for additional investigation into the connection between Jefferson and the Hemings family after its publication in 1997, including DNA testing that proved a connection, changes to exhibits at Monticello, and additional writings. This book lays the groundwork for the deeper investigations and helps dispel myths and alternative storylines.
I give Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings 4 out of 5 stars. The argumentative writing style Gordon-Reed takes in this work reminds me of what you would expect in a law journal or other peer-reviewed journal. It is fact based, debunks the arguments that have come before, and debates the pros and cons of her own conclusions. This style, while great at persuading readers to her “side”, led me to rating this a less than 5 in several categories. With that said, there are so many great aspects of this book, including the conclusions ending each section to recap her point of view.
With discussions of underage sex and slavery, this book may be best directed towards audiences over 13. I would recommend this book to students in argumentative writing classes as an example of how to execute the style. If you are interested in Presidential history, or the legacy of Thomas Jefferson, this book is a great place to start – Gordon-Reed includes more than just the connection between the two key players and describes many other friendships and events that happened throughout their lives.
I chose Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings for the Read With Lindsey 2024 Reading Challenge prompt “about a President or First Lady”. I have been reading about Thomas Jefferson for the past few months on and off. I chose this book because I have been fascinated how this one published work changed the legacy and perception of the great man. I visited Monticello as a teen in the 1990’s and again a few years back with our kids. The differences to how the slave population and the Hemings family are referenced in the tour and exhibits stunned me – it was a completely different story! If it’s been a while since you’ve been to Monticello, you may experience the same surprise.
If you’re off today for Presidents’ Day, I hope you’re getting lots of time to read!
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: Toxic Prey, John Sandford
- Current audio book: The Hemingses of Monticello, Annette Gordon-Reed
- Book I’m most looking forward to: Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
Read With Lindsey 