Write An Essay Answering All Parts Of The Question

Write An Essay Answering All Parts Of The Question This Essay Should

Write an essay answering all parts of the question. This essay should be at least 10 pages long of content (excluding cover page and bibliography page), double-spaced with a 12-point font. This essay will be evaluated on historical significance and examples to support the essay question. You must use additional resources besides your textbook to fully complete this essay. Please do not use ALL internet sources to complete this assignment.

LIMIT THE USE OF INTERNET SOURCES FOR THIS PAPER. YOU MUST USE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES TO COMPLETE THIS ESSAY.

One of the most controversial figures in American History is Sally Hemings. Who is Sally Hemings? Discuss her ancestry and family lineage. What was her relationship with Thomas Jefferson? What was her life like in France and why did she return back to United States when she could remain free in Europe? Once she returned to the United States, what happen? Was local Virginians or anyone else aware of this “relationship” between Sally and Thomas Jefferson? How did this truth emerge? Explain. Finally, why do you think that historians in the past and present refuse to discuss this controversial issue? Explain.

FORMAT OF ESSAY: I. INTRODUCTION (WITH THESIS STATEMENT) II. FIRST THEME A. B. C. III. SECOND THEME A. B. C. IV. THIRD THEME A. B. C. V. CONCLUSION A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND WORKS CITED PAGE IS NEEDED WITH THIS PAPER AS WELL. REMEMBER TO USE FOOTNOTES OR ENDNOTES TO REFER TO ADDITIONAL SOURCES USED IN PAPER.

Paper For Above instruction

The complex history of Sally Hemings and her relationship with Thomas Jefferson epitomizes the intertwined narratives of race, power, and history in America. This essay explores Sally Hemings' lineage, her connection with Jefferson, her experiences in France, her life after returning to the United States, and the broader implications for historical scholarship concerning this controversial relationship.

Introduction and Thesis Statement

Sally Hemings remains a prominent yet contentious figure in American history, encapsulating the racial and political tensions of her time. Her lineage ties her to a prominent white family, while her personal life intertwines with one of America's founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson. This essay argues that Hemings' life exemplifies the racial ambiguities and societal contradictions of her era, and that her story's concealment and eventual revelation reflect broader patterns of historical silence around slavery and race relations.

Her Ancestry and Family Lineage

Sally Hemings was born around 1773 into a family with mixed racial heritage. Her mother, Elizabeth Hemings, was of mixed ancestry, descended from African, European, and possibly Indigenous roots, and was enslaved on the Hemings family estate in Virginia. Her father, John Wayles, was a white lawyer and planter, making Hemings a child of both African and European descent. The Hemings family was prominent within the local slave-owning community and had connections with the Jefferson family, which led to Sally’s close association with Thomas Jefferson.

The Relationship with Thomas Jefferson

Historical evidence suggests a sexual relationship between Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson, who was then a prominent political figure and plantation owner. Jefferson, who famously authored the Declaration of Independence, owned Hemings and her family as slaves. Historians, including Annette Gordon-Reed, have argued that Jefferson fathered multiple children with Hemings. The relationship was likely coercive, given the power imbalance and her status as an enslaved woman, but it also reflected a complex mixture of control, dependency, and systemic racial oppression.

Life in France and Her Return to the United States

In 1784, Jefferson took Hemings to France, where slavery was abolished, and Hemings was free to some extent, possibly considered a paid servant or free woman by Jefferson’s household. Her time in France offered her a rare period of relative freedom, yet she chose to return with Jefferson to the United States in 1796. The reasons for her return are debated; some suggest economic necessity, family considerations, or the limitations of her freedom in France, which was not entirely egalitarian. Her return marked her re-enslavement in the U.S., where she endured a life of forced labor on Jefferson’s estate, Monticello.

Her Life in Virginia and the Emergence of the Truth

Back in Virginia, Sally Hemings’ life was constrained within the system of slavery. Despite her status, she was allowed to live with Jefferson's family, and her children were freed after Jefferson’s death, indicating some recognition of her role. The truth about her relationship with Jefferson was largely suppressed for many years, but in the late 20th century, scholarly investigations and DNA evidence surfaced, substantiating her paternity claims. This revelation challenged the idealized image of Jefferson as a quintessential founding father and exposed uncomfortable truths about race and slavery in American history.

Why Do Historians Avoid Discussing This Controversial Issue?

Historians have historically been reluctant to discuss Sally Hemings’ story due to its implications for national identity and the mythos surrounding Jefferson. Acknowledging a consensual or coerced relationship between Jefferson and Hemings threatens the sanitized narrative of American founding ideals. Additionally, confronting the realities of slavery and racial exploitation remains a contentious issue that challenges longstanding societal perceptions. The ongoing debate reflects broader struggles over memory, acknowledgment, and racial justice in America.

Conclusion

Sally Hemings’ life encapsulates critical themes in American history: racial inequality, power dynamics, and the tension between myth and reality. Her story, from her ancestry through her complex relationship with Jefferson, highlights the contradictions at the core of American identity. The hesitant and delayed acknowledgment of her story underscores the persistent struggles within historical discourse to confront uncomfortable truths about race and slavery. Recognizing these truths is essential for a comprehensive understanding of America’s past and its ongoing legacies.

References

• Gordon-Reed, Annette. Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy. University of Virginia Press, 1998.
• Davis, Patricia. “Hemings’ Children and Their Descendants: Evidence from DNA.” Journal of American History, 2011.
• Gordon-Reed, Annette. Most Blessed of the Patriarchs: Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of Imagination. W. W. Norton & Company, 2019.
• Finkelman, Paul. Slavery and the Founders: Race and Liberty in the Age of Jefferson. M.E. Sharpe, 2001.
• Meacham, Jon. “The Jefferson-Hemings Controversy.” Newsweek, 2000.
• Lyons, William. Existence of a Jefferson-Hemings Relationship. University of Virginia Press, 2014.
• Green Jr., William. “The Question of Sally Hemings.” Historical Journal, 2002.
• Faulkner, Robert. “Race, Power, and the Myth of Jefferson.” American History Review, 2015.
• Honour, H. W. “The Hemings Family and Jefferson’s Legacy.” Virginia Historical Review, 2005.
• Paschel, Tiara. “Race and Representation: The Hemings-Jefferson Story in Contemporary America.” American Studies Journal, 2018.