The duality of Thomas Jefferson
Summary
TLDRThe script offers an in-depth look at Thomas Jefferson's complex relationship with slavery at Monticello. Despite his high ideals and denouncement of slavery, Jefferson owned over six hundred slaves and fathered children with Sally Hemings, a slave. The tour explores the paradox of Jefferson's life, highlighting his contributions and his moral contradictions. It also delves into the lives of the slaves, including John Hemings, a skilled craftsman, and the Hemings family's legacy. The narrative challenges the traditional image of Jefferson, presenting a more nuanced view of his life and the institution of slavery.
Takeaways
- 🏰 Thomas Jefferson's Monticello was a plantation where he professed to hate slavery but still owned slaves.
- 📜 Despite being the author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson owned around six hundred slaves over his lifetime and freed only seven.
- 👨👧👦 He likely fathered at least six children with his slave Sally Hemings, which was confirmed by DNA evidence in 1998.
- 🏆 Pulitzer prize-winning author Jon Meacham's biography portrays Jefferson as a man trapped by the circumstances of his birth, including slavery.
- 🛠 Furniture in Monticello was made by slaves, including John Hemings, who was later freed by Jefferson and given the tools of his trade.
- 📚 Jefferson's laptop desk, where he wrote early drafts of the Declaration of Independence, also housed records of his slaves' births and deaths.
- 🔨 Monticello had a profitable nail-making workshop where young boys were whipped to increase productivity.
- 👴 Jefferson's view on ending slavery was to emancipate and then repatriate or colonize African American slaves, not integrating them into society.
- 🖼 An artist's imagined portrait of Sally Hemings, sister of John Hemings and believed to be Jefferson's lover, highlights the personal relationships within Monticello.
- 🤝 Descendants of Sally Hemings have passed down stories implicating Jefferson as their ancestor, with some even 'passing' as white.
- 🏡 The Hemings and Jefferson family reunion at Monticello in 1999 marked a significant moment in acknowledging their shared history.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the Monticello tour mentioned in the transcript?
-The main theme of the Monticello tour is to explore the paradoxical life of Thomas Jefferson, who was both a champion of high ideals and a slave owner, providing a more nuanced view of his character and the institution of slavery.
How many slaves did Thomas Jefferson own over his lifetime?
-Thomas Jefferson owned over six hundred slaves during his lifetime.
How many slaves did Jefferson free, and under what circumstances?
-Jefferson freed only seven slaves. One of them was John Hemings, a highly skilled furniture maker, who was freed in Jefferson's will and given the tools of his trade.
What is the significance of the DNA evidence mentioned in the transcript?
-The DNA evidence confirmed the long-standing claims by the descendants of Sally Hemings that Thomas Jefferson was the father of at least six of her children, providing a scientific basis to a historical controversy.
What was Thomas Jefferson's view on the integration of African Americans into society?
-Jefferson did not foresee a biracial integrated society. His plan for ending slavery involved emancipation followed by repatriation or colonization, meaning African American slaves would leave the United States.
What is the connection between the Hemings family and Thomas Jefferson?
-The Hemings family, including Sally Hemings, were slaves owned by Thomas Jefferson. Sally Hemings is believed to have had a long-term relationship with Jefferson, and their descendants include both Jefferson and Hemings family members.
What is the significance of the 'farm book' mentioned in the transcript?
-The 'farm book' is significant as it documents the births and deaths of the slaves, as well as the work they performed, providing a detailed account of the daily operations of the plantation and the treatment of slaves.
What is the role of the nail-making workshop at Monticello in the context of the transcript?
-The nail-making workshop was an extremely profitable part of Monticello's operations, where young slaves were made to work and were subjected to violence to increase productivity, illustrating the harsh realities of slave labor.
How does the transcript describe the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and his slaves?
-The transcript describes an intimate relationship between Jefferson and his slaves, from birth to death, as he was raised and cared for by slaves and relied on them for various tasks throughout his life.
What does the transcript suggest about the public's evolving understanding of Thomas Jefferson?
-The transcript suggests that the public's understanding of Thomas Jefferson is becoming more three-dimensional, acknowledging both his virtues and vices, including his role as a slave owner and the complexities of his personal life.
What is the significance of the 'laptop desk' mentioned in the transcript?
-The 'laptop desk' is significant because it is the desk on which Thomas Jefferson wrote early drafts of the Declaration of Independence, symbolizing the contrast between his lofty ideals and the reality of his slave-owning life.
Outlines
🏰 Monticello's Dual Legacy: Jefferson's Ideals and Slavery
The first paragraph introduces Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's plantation, as a place of both high ideals and the harsh reality of slavery. It contrasts Jefferson's professed hatred for slavery with his continued ownership of slaves, including his relationship with Sally Hemings and the children he likely fathered with her. The paragraph also discusses the contradictions in Jefferson's life, such as his authorship of the Declaration of Independence and his ownership of slaves, and the DNA evidence that confirmed his paternity of Hemings' children. It highlights the work of slaves at Monticello, including the craftsmanship of John Hemings, and the economic and cultural factors that trapped Jefferson in the institution of slavery. The paragraph ends with a reflection on the necessity to understand slavery to understand Jefferson fully.
🌟 Jefferson's Complex Views on Slavery and Race
The second paragraph delves into Jefferson's complicated views on slavery and race. It discusses his plan for ending slavery, which involved emancipation followed by repatriation or colonization, reflecting a belief in the impossibility of a biracial integrated society. The paragraph also explores the personal side of Jefferson's life, particularly his relationship with Sally Hemings and the conditions she set for returning to slavery in Virginia. It includes the story of Shannon Lanier, a direct descendant of Hemings, and the emotional impact of discovering this history. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on Jefferson's legacy, noting that while he is remembered for his achievements like the Declaration of Independence, his involvement with slavery and the complex relationships within his own household also form a significant part of his historical memory.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Monticello
💡Slavery
💡Hypocrisy
💡Declaration of Independence
💡Sally Hemings
💡John Hemings
💡Nail-making workshop
💡Benevolent slave holder
💡Repatriation
💡Biracial Society
💡Legacy
Highlights
Thomas Jefferson's Monticello plantation tour reveals the paradox of his high ideals and his involvement in slavery.
Jefferson professed to hate slavery but owned hundreds of slaves throughout his life.
Despite his famous words in the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson freed only seven slaves.
DNA evidence in 1998 confirmed Jefferson's paternity of at least six children with his slave Sally Hemings.
Pulitzer prize-winning author Jon Meacham's biography portrays Jefferson as trapped by the circumstances of his time.
Jefferson's early memory was of being handed to a slave, and his last words were about adjusting his pillow, showing an intimate relationship with slaves.
Slave John Hemings ran Jefferson's joinery and made much of the furniture at Monticello, and was later freed by Jefferson.
The Monticello tour emphasizes understanding slavery to understand Jefferson, highlighting the 600 slaves he owned.
Jefferson's laptop desk, where he wrote drafts of the Declaration of Independence, also housed records of his slaves.
Jefferson's plantation was profitable due to the labor of enslaved children, who were subjected to violence to increase productivity.
Jefferson's plan for ending slavery involved repatriation, not integration, showing a racist view for the time.
Sally Hemings, believed to be Jefferson's lover, was also his wife's half-sister, and her descendants have complex family ties.
Descendants of Sally Hemings have passed down stories about Jefferson, some of whom identified as white.
Reporter Shannon Lanier, a direct descendant of Sally Hemings, shares his journey of discovering his lineage.
The Hemings-Jefferson family reunion at Monticello in 1999 was a significant event for descendants to come together.
Jefferson's legacy is complex, with achievements like the Declaration of Independence overshadowed by his slave-owning past.
Transcripts
this is what Thomas Jefferson saw from
Monticello the view as perfect as his
high ideals well I'd like to welcome you
to our slavery at Monticello tour but at
Monticello today it is the imperfect
Jefferson we see Monticello was a
plantation and must judge for ourselves
Jefferson professed a hate slavery
called an abominable crime but he held
on to his slaves he freed only seven the
author of the Declaration of
Independence who wrote that all men are
created equal
owned six hundred slaves over his
lifetime and in addition to his
legitimate children almost certainly
fathered at least six other children
with his slave Sally Hemings for
generations descendants of Sally Hemings
have been telling stories implicating
Jefferson his father of her children DNA
proof of a connection came in 1998 is
Thomas Jefferson any less great because
the understanding we have of him now is
three-dimensional most human beings I
know are quite capable of denial and
hypocrisy and I think that Jefferson's
virtues were enormous and his vices were
equally enormous Pulitzer prize-winning
author Jon Meacham has just published a
best-selling new biography of our third
president look dad in full you find a
man whose life was made possible by
slavery who had misgivings who as a
young man attempted however feebly to
reform the institution but in the end he
was ultimately someone who was trapped
by allowed himself to be trapped by the
economic political and cultural
circumstances into which he was born
Jefferson said that his earliest memory
was of being handed up on a pillow as a
toddler to a slave on a horse and we
know that his last words were asking
burl Cobert to adjust his pillow here in
this room
Jefferson's but
Burrell Tolbert was also a slave there
would have been an intimate relationship
really from from birth to death
Elizabeth Chu is curator at Monticello
now are there pieces of furniture in
this room that were made by slaves yes
in the the joinery or the furniture
making woodshop in Jefferson's later
years was run by a slave named John
Hemings and Hemings ran the joinery and
made many pieces of furniture that are
in Monticello today this is an example
he was very highly skilled and he was
freed by Jefferson in his will and given
the tools of his trade John Hemings is
remembered because of his craftsmanship
unlike so many other Jefferson's slaves
to be able to sort of have an image of
Jefferson that we all know and behind
him the names of the 600 people that he
owned in his lifetime really means that
we have to understand slavery in order
to understand Jefferson Lonnie bunch
heads the Smithsonian's National Museum
of african-american history and culture
sponsor of a traveling exhibition about
slavery at Monticello and what's
powerful is quite candidly we only know
the first things and there are some that
we just have is unknown Lucy Lucy
it's almost any old name that's exactly
right this is Thomas Jefferson's laptop
desk this is the desk upon which he
wrote early drafts of the declaration
independence the first of those drafts
attacked Britain slave trade Jefferson
writing that King George the third has
waged cruel war against human nature
itself the Continental Congress took the
phrase out alongside the rejected
passage the financial reality next to it
is his farm book and here is where he
would list the births and deaths of the
slaves he would list the work that they
did so in some ways it really gives us a
full picture of the totality of
Jefferson which at times contradicts the
popular image of Jefferson as a
benevolent slave holder the male
reoccupied one
half of this site inside there were four
forges one example what went on at
Jefferson's extremely profitable nail
making workshop at Monticello as the
young child your job was to move the
nails around but by the time of year 12
13 14 your job is to make these nails
the boys were routinely whipped to force
them to be more productive that happened
while Jefferson was on Monticello it
happened when he was gone because in the
18th century you couldn't run a
plantation without using violence a man
of his time Jefferson thought he was
benevolent but even his plan for ending
slavery would be considered racist today
his view was that at best
there could be an emancipation but then
there would be repatriation there would
be colonization African American slaves
would leave the United States he did not
foresee a biracial integrated Society
one of the many ironies of his life
because he created a biracial Society at
Monticello this is an artist's imagined
portrait of Sally Hemings sister of John
Hemings the furniture maker
she was also believed to be Thomas
Jefferson's wife Martha's half-sister
the entire Hemings family ended up at
Monticello but it was in Paris in the
1780s while Jefferson by then a widower
was u.s. minister to France but he
supposedly began a nearly 40-year sexual
liaison with Sally who was there with
him by law she was free in France before
agreeing to return to Virginia to
slavery
she set conditions according to her
descendants she said I will go back with
you if any children we have are allowed
to be free to 21
Jefferson must have been totally
flummoxed by this strong-willed I think
quite courageous woman in September 1802
a Richmond Virginia newspaper outed
Jefferson say
by this wench Sally our president has
had several children after that the
Jefferson Hemings story was whispered
from one generation to the next for
nearly 200 years by descendants of Sally
Hemings many of whom passed for white
it's been an interesting journey for me
because it started out when I was a kid
me standing up in class and saying
Thomas Jefferson is my great-great-great
great-great-great grandfather and being
so happy and proud to brag about it you
know when we're studying the presidents
but then when the teacher says sit down
and stop telling lies and all the kids
laugh at you by the mid-1990s the
laughing had stopped historians even at
Monticello were becoming believers
television reporter Shannon Lanier is a
direct descendant of Sally Hemings
through her son Madison Hemings before
that reunion I had only known the
Hemings descendants from Madison line of
the family I didn't even know the
Jefferson line Shannon Lanier right in
front there was 19 when he attended the
controversial first ever combined
Hemings Jefferson family reunion at
Monticello in 1999 afterward he and Jane
Feldman the photographer who took this
picture traveled the country
interviewing four generations of Hemings
and Jefferson's for a book Jefferson's
children our journey in the Jefferson's
story kind of acts as a catalyst for
people to be able to discuss the topic
of slavery we had a family Bible a great
big thick number and my mother inherited
it from an uncle and in there was an
entry among others Brown Colvard in 2006
Bill Webb's wife doing some research
found Brown Kolbert listed as a
Monticello slave it turns out he was the
brother of Jefferson's Butler Burrell
Kolbert and as a boy worked at the nail
making workshop which Webb decided he
had to see Here I am standing on the
very same
land where my ancestor had worked as a
young preteen and now that's heavy it
was something that brought tears to my
eyes to say my god my god Thomas
Jefferson is buried at Monticello
inscribed on his monument the
achievements he wanted to be remembered
for including the Declaration of
Independence but he will be remembered
as well for the legacy that is not
written here
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