The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed

More articles on the subject began to surface in the 1970s, and the book, Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History by Fawn M. In 1954 Ebony carried an article, 'Thomas Jefferson's Negro Grandchildren,' and in 1961 the Journal of Negro History carried an article, 'Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings' by Pearl M. Nevertheless, two of Sally Hemings's children did claim him as their father and that was passed down orally in their families into the present. After Jefferson's death, descendants of his white kinfolks rejected the possibility of his paternity. Of the six children of Sally Hemings, three joined white society and three chose the Black community. No written records of the matter by either Jefferson or Hemings have been found. Here's the background: although rumors had existed earlier, it was in 1802 that widely circulated contemporary written accounts first alleged that Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings were sexual partners, and that their unions had resulted in offspring. “A riveting and compassionate family portrait that deserves to endure as a model of historical inquiry…stands dramatically apart for its searching intelligence and breadth of humane vision…We owe Annette Gordon-Reed tremendous thanks.”- Kirk Davis Swinehart. “ very important and powerfully argued history of the Hemings family… has the imagination and talent of an expert historian.”- Gordon S.

“A brilliant book…It marks the author as one of the most astute, insightful, and forthright historians of this generation.”- Edmund S. “A monumental and original book.”- Fergus Bordewich. This book won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize! “A sweeping, prodigiously researched biography.”- Motoko Rich.

The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed