Steven, To clarify, the reference to "white guilt" was something someone on this list accused me of trying to assauge. Actually, I have less "guilt" than many since a cousin who maintains the geneology for our generation, said that our family was involved with the Underground Railroad. If I don't get email from Fort Monroe in the next few weeks, I'll be sure to sign up again. I think it is wise of you to refer to the ex-slaves just as Americans. I should adopt the same convention. It is unfortunate that women still have to "stick up for" other women whether in the present or in the past, but as you have seen, the remarks about Sally Hemings have gotten pretty far away from recognizing her as a woman as well as a human being. In the back of my mind, I am wondering if the fact that Sally never married or seemed to have a significant relationship with another slave, may be another one of those "circumstantial" evidences some prefer to dismiss as "unprovable". Anne Anne Pemberton [log in to unmask] http://www.erols.com/apembert http://www.educationalsynthesis.org ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html