Ms. Wills:
Your statements here may well be construed as "racist" to some. It occurs to me that we should look at the issue with a more distant mindset; to apply the term "racist" to the debate only clouds the issue at hand. What is considered "racist" today would have been a very vague concept in TJ's time. Slavery was a terrible injustice but it happened; WE cannot change that.
The issue, in and of itself, is whether or not TJ fathered children with SH. If we apply the term "racist" in the strictest sense, then you have solved the isssue; the "racist" white TJ would certainly NOT have had a sexual relationship with the slave SH.
I have followed the discussion on this topic with great interest; however, I now have the same opinion regarding this topic as I had prior to reading the first post: Wheter TJ had sex with his slave ... or anybody else for that matter ... is totally irrelevant to me. I see little benefit in attempting to destroy the good done by TJ and his contemporaries by applying modern labels to them. Yes, TJ (and thousand of others) was a slaveholder; should that detract from his role in the formation of this country? I think not.
If there is ANY entity that has a legitimate interest in whether or not TJ was the father of SH's child(ren), then it should be SH's decendents. Since I have not seen any dire and urgent requests from that family to know the truth I wonder if, once again, society is not reaching for straws in order to tear down the pedestal we built under TJ. When we are left with rubble where a patriot once stood, will we be content? Of course not! So who is next on our hit list?
"Racist", "sexist", ... whatever we may be called today ... I heartily tank TJ for taking part in the great experiment that gave us the freedom to use those expressions should we choose to do so. Being far from perfect myself, I won't be casting stones at Jefferson.
RBJ
----- Original Message -----
From: Anita Wills<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 3:17 PM
Subject: Re: Jefferson's Overseer
Anne,
I agree with you on this one. It seems to aggravate some folks that Jefferson may have slept with his young slave. Take away Sally and what we are left with is Jefferson, the racist, slave holder. I believe that is what some of the historians here are arguing for, to leave his legacy of slave holding, Genocide against Native Culture, and racist views intact. Trying to paint him as a saint is not going to work, because there is too much opposing information out there. Even if he never touched Sally, the fact that he held slaves, and wrote literature that continues to be used to justify racist views, says a lot about his character.
Anita
-- Anne Pemberton <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
Steven,
Perhaps because I am no spring chicken anymore, I am on a fence on how much
we can or should demand that science establish "proofs" which in the past
were left as unanswered questions.
I have no problem whatsoever in analyzing all the available information and
sticking to my belief that in all probability, Sally shared TJ's bed. He
would not have needed to slip out to her cabin. They could have been
comforably undisturbed in his bed. Since she was also his chambermaid, who
would know? Such testimony as the overseer's statements reminds me of the
"testimonies" offered by our current president to explain away his absences
from National Guard duty.
I would like to learn more about that census entry for Madison Hemings that
he was the son of Thomas Jefferson. Why would the clerk of the court sign
off on a document with such an assertion if it was not intended to be
understood as knowledge and fact.
Anne
Anne Pemberton
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http://www.erols.com/apembert<http://www.erols.com/apembert>
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