Worst Book Review Ever Criticizes Slave History For Not Presenting 'Both Sides'

[carolinayellowdog]

19. Thomas Jefferson's 4 children by Sally Hemings were legally white, but slaves

Virginia law at the time made "quadroons" black but "octoroons" white, and Sally being TJ's wife's half-sister was herself a "quadroon." Never heard of a quintoon. A census after his death lists Sally as the free black mother of a white man, Eston I think, might have been Jim-Mad (James Madison Hemings.) The older two, Beverly (male) and Harriet, vanished into whiteness after they were all freed; no one knows their fate.

A northern visitor to Monticello later wrote to TJ asking about people who appeared to be slaves, but also appeared white. He didn't ask about the red hair and family resemblance, and TJ wrote back calmly explaining that they were legally white, but slaves. Didn't say "and those were my kids."

There were also black slaveowners but as with the white-appearing slaves it is a drop in the bucket. None of the above nuances in the slightest justify the stupid review. Enslaving one's own children is evil regardless of their racial classification.