Sally Hemings: Redefining History

Talk about your family feuds: who gets to claim descent from one of America's greatest men, and why, is a whole story in and of itself. Rumors of a Thomas Jefferson/Sally Hemings liaison were titillating back in 1804, and the obsession has continued for the past two centuries. Prurient interest aside, Hemings does represent one of the most complex mysteries of American history, perhaps because she left no written documents recording her thoughts, fears, and motivations. Described as “three-quarters white” and Jefferson's wife's half-sister, Sally Hemings was a slave, then a paid lady's maid to Jefferson's daughter in France, then a teen-aged “concubine” to Jefferson, and finally the mother of several children who could and did “pass for white.” This excellent biography walks the minefields of interpretation by interviewing Jefferson biographers and descendants from both the Hemings and Martha Jefferson sides of the family. Sure to be a hit in public libraries, especially in the wake of the 1998 DNA testing that offered proof of the relationship, this is highly recommended. Aud: P. (R. Reagan)