Sally Hemings was an enslaved woman of mixed race owned by Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States. Born in 1773 in Virginia, she was the half-sister of Jefferson’s wife, Martha, sharing the same father, John Wayles. Hemings accompanied Jefferson’s family to Paris in the 1780s, where she could have claimed her freedom but instead negotiated better treatment for herself and her future children before returning to Jefferson’s home Monticello.
Historical evidence strongly indicates that Hemings and Jefferson had a decades-long relationship, resulting in at least six children, four of whom survived to adulthood. These children were granted unofficial freedom and eventually integrated into white society. Though Hemings was never officially freed, she was informally allowed to live as a free woman after Jefferson’s death. Her story sheds light on the complex realities of slavery and race in early America, shaping ongoing discussions about Jefferson’s legacy and American history.
The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of Black American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.
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