The Monticello Plantation Is Riddled with Secrets about Former President Thomas Jefferson

Published on July 12, 2021
If you’re a US history buff, you possibly know that the Monticello Estate, located in Virginia, used to be owned by Thomas Jefferson. Today, it’s known as a national landmark that tourists and locals both enjoy visiting. There are tons sights to be seen here. However, many visitors are aware of the secret that has been recently discovered on the property. Thanks to the numerous historians who put a tremendous amount of work towards these discoveries, we’re armed with new information about the third President of the US. Are you ready to learn more about one of the Founding Fathers?

A Presidential Property

Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States. Before he moved into the White House, he first had a home on the Monticello Plantation located in Virginia. The construction of this Charlottesville plantation began in 1768 and is now considered a national landmark.

A Presidential Property

A Presidential Property

Little Mountain

The name of this plantation is Italian for ‘Little Mountain’ and the main house of this historical estate appears on the back of the nickel. Even though it was constructed a couple of centuries ago, recent discoveries have been made revealing the estate’s unknown history.

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Little Mountain

Little Mountain

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The Mystery

Thomas Jefferson inherited this land from his father when he was 26 years old. From here, he began constructing an estate amounting to more than 5,000 acres. In those days, it served as a site for tobacco and wheat cultivation.

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The Mystery

The Mystery

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Sally Hemings

In 2017, it was discovered that one of the most important figures was a slave owner. Sally Hemings was one of these slaves working on the plantation. However, Sally’s life was unusually intertwined with Jefferson’s and she was more than a victim of slavery.

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Sally Hemings

Sally Hemings

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Learning More About Her

Many slaves worked on the plantation, but Sally was different, which is why a lot of historians were interested in finding out more about this woman. Experts stumbled on new information about Sally’s life almost 200 years after she died.

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Learning More About Her

Learning More About Her

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Her Family

Sally had a child named Madison. However, Jefferson had claimed that Madison’s mother was his wife. Being born into slavery, Sally’s children were automatically the possession of the slave owners. Records showed that Madison belonged to Martha Jefferson after “inheriting” him from a slave trader.

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Her Family

Her Family

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After Jefferson’s Death

Although she was born into slavery, Sally wasn’t enslaved her entire life. She got to spend the last nine years of her life freely. There isn’t any visual proof of Sally’s appearance, but Isaac Granger Jefferson was an enslaved blacksmith who gave few descriptions of her appearance stating that she had long straight hair down her back and almost appeared white.

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After Jefferson’s Death

After Jefferson’s Death

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A Lovely Lady

Trusted historians believed that Sally served as a chambermaid and seamstress at the estate. Although Jefferson took very detailed notes and records about the births and finances on this estate, he didn’t write about Sally. Yet, it was understood by many that she was a lovely lady.

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A Lovely Lady

A Lovely Lady

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The Paris Trip

Sally’s life changed forever after she spent two years in Paris. She was only 14 years old when she was tasked with accompanying Thomas Jefferson’s youngest daughter. They traveled to Paris and London because Jefferson was the envoy to France in those days.

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The Paris Trip

The Paris Trip

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Going Back

James was Sally’s brother who worked as a chef for the President and also came on the Paris trip. Even though slavery was illegal in France, Sally decided to return to the estate. It’s unclear whether she had a say in the matter or not, but she returned to Monticello.

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Going Back

Going Back

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The Important Trip

This trip changed the course of Sally’s life because Jefferson started an intimate relationship with her at this time. He was a widower from his mid-40s while she was only 16 years old. She became pregnant during this period. Once returning to the US, she gave birth to six kids in the years following 1789.

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The Important Trip

The Important Trip

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Many Rumors

Although it was clear they had an intimate relationship, there weren’t any known writings on this. However, the first piece of written evidence was found in 1802. In the ‘Farm Book,’ Jefferson never listed the father of Sally’s children while also freeing them from slavery.

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Many Rumors

Many Rumors

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It’s a Match

The paternity of these children was unresolved for a long time. However, the new developments and advancements allowed experts to uncover the truth. Scientists could prove that Thomas Jefferson was the father of one of her children, which makes it likely that all six were also his.

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It’s A Match

It’s A Match

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Excavations

Partial restoration was performed on Monticello in 2017 where archaeologists launched excavations surrounding the estate. During this time, historians found interesting evidence linked to Sally Hemings. It was the hidden living quarters of Sally Hemings that hadn’t been seen for centuries.

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Excavations

Excavations

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Her Hidden Room

The main house on the plantation also had a south wing that went through a couple of renovations. These took place when Jefferson lived on the property and when he didn’t. However, nobody noticed Sally’s hidden room as it was below a modern bathroom installed in 1941.

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Her Hidden Room

Her Hidden Room

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Launching the Search

Many rumors surrounded Sally’s room, which is why a team of experts launched the search. Underneath this modern bathroom, they found the remains of Sally’s 14-foot living area. They found that this living space was adjacent to Thomas Jefferson’s bedroom.

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Launching The Search

Launching the Search

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What This Meant

Once they put all these new pieces together, they had the proof that showed Jefferson as the father to Sally’s kids. The proximity of his room to her quarters was a massive clue. Adding the positive DNA test, historians were confident that they had children together.

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What This Meant

What This Meant

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The Live of Slaves

This discovery offered insight into how enslaved people lived in Monticello. Some of Sally’s children were born in her room. Furthermore, her unusual treatment could also have been because Sally was Jefferson’s lover.

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The Live Of Slaves

The Live Of Slaves

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Her Lifestyle

Sally’s room doesn’t only prove that Jefferson fathered the kids of this enslaved woman. It also sheds light on her lifestyle. From her room, it’s said that she had a greater standard of living than other slaves on the estate. However, she remained working as a slave.

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Her Lifestyle

Her Lifestyle

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Restoration

After its discovery, the Monticello historians started working on restoring Sally’s room. In 2018, they were able to open it to the public while completing it with furniture and artifacts from this period. The goal of this display was to bring more transparency to the estate’s history.

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Restoration

Restoration

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First Time

The spokeswoman for Monticello stated that this is the first physical space dedicated to Sally Hemings and her life. This is a significant moment because it’s the piece connecting the entire African American arc at the estate and helped shed light on the type of man Jefferson was.

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First Time

First Time

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Humanizing This Woman

Having this display helped humanize Sally Hemings, whose life had been filled with gossip for far too long. This exhibit helped establish her as a person while also giving her a presence outside of the wonder of her and Jefferson’s relationship.

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Humanizing This Woman

Humanizing This Woman

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The Memory of Sally Hemings

These new findings have altered the way we view Monticello. The focus is now on Sally Hemings. A retired historian stated that she worked on tours at the plantation in 1968 where Sally was never mentioned. However, this has now changed.

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The Memory Of Sally Hemings

The Memory Of Sally Hemings

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Mulberry Row

Along with Sally, the spotlight was also placed on other enslaved people. In 2015, a new project was launched at Monticello that showed the stories of slaves on the plantation. One of the commemorative events included inviting hundreds of slave descendants to partake in the tree-planting memorial.

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Mulberry Row

Mulberry Row

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Focusing on Her Life

Along with Mulberry Row, curators planned to put more focus on Sally Hemings. Experts at Monticello want to offer a complete account of her life at the estate. They plan to talk about her relationship with Jefferson and other people.

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Focusing On Her Life

Focusing On Her Life

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Her Descendants

Gayle Jessup White is one of the many descendants of Sally Hemings and now works as a Community Engagement Officer at Monticello. She has shared her mixed feelings of being an African-American descendent because Jefferson was a slaveowner. She wants individuals to face the blemish of slavery.

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Her Descendants

Her Descendants

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Mixed Reactions

Gayle’s goal is to face the tragic history of slavery in the US and offer insight into the African-American culture, which is what they are working towards at Monticello. They want underserved communities and communities of color to partner with Monticello, but some are resistant.

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Mixed Reactions

Mixed Reactions

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Unanswered Questions

Although Sally’s room was a groundbreaking discovery, there are still some unanswered questions. There was a log of the slaves on the plantation. However, not many individual portraits of these enslaved individuals are available. Luckily, descendants have helped reveal more information on this topic.

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Unanswered Questions

Unanswered Questions

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Sally’s Descendants

One massive source of information about Sally Hemings is her descendants. They have helped create a family tree. Since the father of Sally’s children was Jefferson, they are also linked to the former president’s lineage. From this information, historian Annette Gordon-Reed made an astonishing find.

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Sally’s Descendants

Sally’s Descendants

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Her Children

From Sally’s six children, four of them survived into adulthood. Their names were Beverly, Eston, Harriet, and Madison. All of them spent their lives in the North, except for Madison who wrote a memoir. Eston was the only child to change his surname to Jefferson to acknowledge his father.

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Her Children

Her Children

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Eston and Madison Hemings

Eston and Madison experienced great success in their careers and had multiple children. Some of these kids went on to fight for the Union in the Civil War. These children then went on to have kids of their own and so has gone on to the present day.

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Eston And Madison Hemings

Eston And Madison Hemings

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Collected Anecdotes and Accounts

Monticello historians interviewed more than 200 individuals in 1993 to learn more about the slaves working at the estate. These interviews were a vital part of documenting the oral history of this plantation. The estate also hosted a summit with the University of Virginia to shed light on this history.

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Collected Anecdotes And Accounts

Collected Anecdotes And Accounts

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Deeper Understanding

With the recent discoveries found on the estate, people are given a more accurate account of Monticello’s history. Many tour guides offer far more candid explanations of the estate showcasing the tough roles these slaves had to work while at the plantation.

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Deeper Understanding

Deeper Understanding

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Intrigued Individuals

Once they had shared this more accurate information about the enslaved people at Monticello, several questions were asked. Overall, these discoveries have helped spread awareness on one of the most tragic parts of US history and shed more light on what people of color had to endure.

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Intrigued Individuals

Intrigued Individuals

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The Present Day

There’s no doubt that people are going to continue talking about the controversy surrounding Monticello. Nonetheless, the estate plans to accept all the backlash it deserves and wishes to offer more insight into this part of history that has been ignored for far too long.

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The Present Day

The Present Day

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Not the Only Slave Owner

It’s valid to point out how ironic and hypocritical it was for former President Thomas Jefferson to declare that ‘All Men Were Created Equal’ when he was a slave trader. However, he wasn’t the only president to partake in slave trading.

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Not The Only Slave Owner

Not The Only Slave Owner

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George Washington

Along with Thomas Jefferson, George Washington was a slave owner. However, one thing that sets him apart from other presidents is that he was the only one to set all of his slaves free. His wife, Martha, freed more than 100 slaves after Washington passed away.

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George Washington

George Washington

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Not Owning Slaves

The first president to live in the White House was John Adams who had ‘moderate views’ on slavery. Hence, he didn’t own his own slaves, but slave labor was used when constructing the presidential residence. His son, former President John Quincy Adams, also didn’t have slaves.

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Not Owning Slaves

Not Owning Slaves

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Who Else?

Thomas Jefferson wasn’t the only president to have slaves. The others include James Monroe, James Madison, and Andrew Jackson. Martin Van Buren was the eighth president of the US and only had one single slave. After this, he joined the opposition to slavery.

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Who Else?

Who Else?

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Not Taught in School

We hope you’ve learned something more about Thomas Jefferson that you certainly weren’t taught in school. Although the former president said that slavery was an assemblage of horrors, he was a slave owner. The history of Sally Hemings has helped shed light on this history and bring awareness.

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Not Taught In School

Not Taught In School

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