An invitation

[Dave Grubb]

I imagine most know at least some of the story of Sally Heming, sister-in-law, slave, companion and mistress of Thomas Jefferson and how she accompanied Jefferson to France to look after the Jefferson children and tend to Jefferson's "needs".

Today I am confronted, with what seemed to be wide spread, another similar story of Abigail (no known last name), a slave to John Jay and also taken to France during his service there.

I encourage you to take 15 minutes to meet Abigail and "touch" her life.

I do not often use the audio version, but I did for this and was well rewarded.

[Mike]

Interesting read, unfortunately without a real finding of what the author sought.

[Dave Grubb]

What comes across to me is the same thing that confronts me often as I read these accounts and that is the fact that almost without exception these people were dehumanized,
Abigail was taken from her "home" here to France,leaving family behind. At some point Jay's wife wrote a letter asking if she still had a husband but if there was a response it has been lost.
The very fact that she died in France but no record of her person remains,
The apparent lack of concern by Franklin et al only serves to put an explanation point on this loss of human dignity.
I find it terribly sad.

[UTAH]

Like many Utahans, I've researched my family history. As far as I know, there's no interactions between slaves and family members. I hope that bodes well, but can one really know what relatives did before they came to the USA? And, even if we did find connections to slavery, what would that mean in our current day?

Hunter

[mgrist]

Like many Utahans, I've researched my family history. As far as I know, there's no interactions between slaves and family members. I hope that bodes well, but can one really know what relatives did before they came to the USA? And, even if we did find connections to slavery, what would that mean in our current day?

Hunter

Some can't let go of the past. History from the beginning until now is sad and a abomination to the fine Christain life that most think they lead now. I think a lot and read a lot about the Indians we mascaraed and the Irish that were starved to death and the Jews. The Vikings and Stalin and the despots in Asia and Africa that randomly killed millions upon millions of people, how many others have been murdered etc... why horror and sorrow is almost always applied to Blacks alone is Ludacris. I guess it's a case of the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

[mgrist]

And no Dave I mean to take nothing from your post and I'm not stalking you I'd have written the same thing no matter who wrote it. So sorry if I have some how diminished your post.
I will say that I'd have been much happier being a rich mans mistress than picking cotton. Separation was common it's hard but it happened whether you were picking cotton or traveling the world.

[Dave Grubb]

And no Dave I mean to take nothing from your post and I'm not stalking you I'd have written the same thing no matter who wrote it. So sorry if I have some how diminished your post. I will say that I'd have been much happier being a rich mans mistress than picking cotton. Separation was common it's hard but it happened whether you were picking cotton or traveling the world.

I took no offense. You seem to think that I have a motive (white guilt?) for sharing this---that is not the case. I had no part in slavery and feel no need to wrap myself in the guilt which should be born by those who did---although, I also accept that few of them ever gave it any thought. I can both feel sorrow at the inhumane treatment (no matter how well fed or clothed) of slaves and at the sametime realize the shame that should accompany it is not mine.

I have studied the history of slavery (it goes back to the beginning of recorded history) to possibly look at that rich man's mistress in a different way than I once would have. Her "condition" is not fully defined by her physical trappings, look more deeply and (in the case of a slave) look at her family who she is now separated from, possibly including her children---who may be sold off in her absence and never learn where they have gone. I can go on, but you get the picture. I can't fix that, but I can learn from it.

Thomas Jefferson has been (and remains) one of my most highly regarded of our founding fathers---but I am unable to reconcile, or forgive his treatment of Sally Hemings. Thomas Jefferson was a brilliant man, a critical thinker, why didn't he see his treatment of Sally Hemings as denying her humanity? I know----it was acceptable in that day---I'm sorry, that doesn't justify someone like Jefferson not realizing what he was doing.

Please let me put that "relationship" in context. Sally was his sister-in-law (1/2 sister of Jefferson's wife who died), she was also his slave, who he inherited from his late wife's estate. Sally was "property".
She accompanied him to France to care for his children. Once back in the United States, Sally took up residence at Monticello---not in the "big house" but in a small one room house on "slave row".

By all accounts she would go to that small house to sleep---never remaining in Jefferson's bed---where they jointly created six children---who also became slaves---and more property! Nearing death Jefferson gave his children their freedom---but Sally was too valuable to chance her leaving and it was left to Jefferson's first two children, born to Sally's half sister, to grant Sally her freedom.

To the greater shame of Jefferson, he dealt daily with learned people who avidly disapproved of slavery and spoke openly to it's inhumanness.

I am left with a conundrum, on one hand I have tremendous admiration for the man who wrote:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

...and could concurrently compartmentalize Sally Hemings as "property", totally without humanness

I am sorrowful for the treatment of slaves and I acknowledge that sorrow, but the shame is not mine, the shame is on those who refused to see slavery for what it was.

As a bit of a postscript: Sally was only 1/4 black---she was the progeny of a long line of "used" women. Sally's mother was the property of Jefferson's father-in-law, who in turn impregnated Sally's mother. Sally's mother was the progeny of a slave woman and a white ship's captain (ie slaver).



Slavery continues to this day and continues to be a black mark on humanity to this day