The Hemingses of Monticello, Part 5

Annette Gordon-Reed talks about her new book, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, and answers questions at Monticello's Jefferson Library. This section: researching at Monticello's International Center for Jefferson Studies; why now is a good time to revisit the story of the Hemings family.

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• Jefferson
• Hemings
• Gordon-Reed
• Monticello
• slave
• slavery
• Family
• Letters
• Project
• Getting
• Word
• Cinder
• Stanton

[98bigbutt]

That happened because of rape during slavery times.

[AllPeopleGifts]

IT WAS 'RAPE" It was NOT a "relationship" As a young, enslaved CHILD (despite having white skin, gray eyes, brown hair) HEMINGS HAD NO CHOICE in the sexual exploitation of/assault on her sexual/reproductive organs To minimize, justify or excuse his exploitation of this enslaved person is as bad as excusing/ justifying any of the forms of enslavement In regards to “choices”, Hemings life was more akin to that of the kids in today's 3rd-world-child-brothels & not that of a "secret-mistress"

[eponine1971]

In most books that touch on this issue, they not only point out the DNA evidence but also circumstantial evidence such as the children that were fathered when Jefferson came back to Monticello during his presidency. But I do believe that every logical person has accepted this fact. He did have an affair with Sally. They seemed to have been in love. And he did father children.

[herbar1]

In reply to the question "why visit Jefferson-Hemings NOW?", brings in the black presidential race which has NO bearing at all on, DID TJ FATHER SLAVE CHILDREN?

Speaking of Ellen Randolph Cooledge's letter she conveniently NEGLECTS to inform us that in her first book she completely rearranges the statement to give an EXACT different meaning. The first book also states, DNA does NOT prove that Eston's descendant tested is a descendant of Thomas Jefferson. Next book says 7 were TJ's.