Sally Hemings

Sally Hemings: Given Her Time is an exciting, concise biography tells that tells the extraordinary tale of Sally Hemings, mother of Thomas Jefferson’s enslaved children.

Born on the eve of the American Revolution, the war hung over Sally Hemings' childhood. As a teenager, she travelled to Paris to witness the beginning of another revolution. There, she entered a painful bargain and became Jefferson’s concubine in exchange for her children’s freedom. Over thirty-six years she gave birth to seven children, buried three, and raised four, all while hoping their father would make good on his promise.

Placing Hemings within the history of American women and slavery, the book acts as an introduction to race, gender, slavery, and freedom in the first fifty years of the American republic. Within this context, Hemings’ life demands an honest reckoning with the national foundations of race, gender, bondage, and freedom from the vantage of a woman for whom nothing was created equal and for whom life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness came with great costs. This textbook includes study questions for students to consider and documents to encourage students to engage with primary source materials.

Sally Hemings: Given Her Time is an accessible and lively read for students in women and gender studies, women’s history, and African American Studies.