Has anyone come across any documentation about Sally Hemings' personal hygiene? If not, then all this speculation is not worth the trouble to discuss. Citing perceived notions of a group's hygiene or lack thereof hardly counts as evience as it applies to a specific individual in any time period or place. Edward Truslow Williamsburg, VA >From: Melinda Skinner <[log in to unmask]> >Date: 2008/05/16 Fri AM 07:15:12 CDT >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] NY Times essay and Gen John Hartwell Cocke >That is a non-argument. Unless Jefferson (and Franklin) were OCD, I doubt they would be bothered by cleanliness when looking to hook up. How many cultured, powdered and wigged men consorted with pretty unkempt/unclean women of the night everywhere in the "civilized" world? > >-- >Melinda C. P. Skinner >Richmond, VA > > > -------------- Original message ---------------------- >From: [log in to unmask] >> Exactly, and to suppose that an educated, cultured and abnormally hygienic >> man of Jefferson's stature hung out in the slave quarters to satisfy some >> middle-aged sexual urge is ridiculous on its face, at least to another educated, >> cultured, middle-aged hygienic man. >> >> J.D. Southmayd >> _www.southmayd.net_ (http://www.southmayd.net) is my web site. >> >> >> >> In a message dated 5/15/2008 3:39:03 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, >> [log in to unmask] writes: >> >> Jeffrey -- >> >> I am well aware of the appalling hygiene and diseases of slaves in >> the 18th century, but that is hardly the limit. As I have written >> elsewhere I think one of the things that brought Franklin and >> Jefferson together was their personal cleanliness, which was notable >> in an age when even the wealthy stank. Going to a gathering even of >> the mighty must have been like sticking one's head in the laundry of >> a basketball team after the game. Franklin who, to me, is the most >> interesting of all the Founders was, at one point reputed to be the >> only man in Philadelphia who bathed daily, and certainly one of the >> very few who actually had a purpose built bathtub. Slaves, being at >> the bottom of the social hierarchy naturally got the least, and >> suffered the most. But disease and death were commonplace whatever >> one's rank. Just look at the number of 18th century planters who had >> multiple wives, because so many women died in childbirth. The common >> state of hygiene in the colonies was far worse, and the medical >> options less, than would have been found in a comparable setting in >> the Roman empire. >> >> -- Stephan >> >> >> On 15 May 2008, at 13:41, [log in to unmask] wrote: >> >> > Stephan; >> > >> > I am not sure that you found offensive about my post. Perhaps you >> > should >> > read the following on slave hygiene to get a better feel for my >> > point vis-a-vis >> > Mr. Jefferson and Ms. Hemmings: >> > >> > >> > The Health of Slaves on Southern Plantations (Louisiana State >> > University >> > studies) by William Dosite Postell; and >> > >> > >> > (http://www.amazon.com/This-Species-Property-Culture-Galaxy/dp/ >> > 0195022459/ref=sr_1_31?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210873126&sr=8-31) This >> > Species of Property: >> > Slave Life and Culture in the Old South (Galaxy Books) by Leslie >> > Howard Owens; >> > and >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > Medicine and Slavery: The Diseases and Health Care of Blacks in >> > Antebellum >> > Virginia (Blacks in the New World) by Todd L. Savitt. >> > >> > >> > J.D. Southmayd >> > a/k/a J South >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > **************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists >> > on family >> > favorites at AOL Food. >> > (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001) >> > >> > ______________________________________ >> > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the >> > instructions at >> > http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html >> >> ______________________________________ >> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at >> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html >> >> >> >> >> >> **************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family >> favorites at AOL Food. >> (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001) >> >> ______________________________________ >> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at >> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > >______________________________________ >To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at >http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html