Robert Hemings
Elizabeth Hemings had a son named Robert Hemings with John Wayles, Thomas Jefferson’s father-in-law and Elizabeth Hemings’ master before Jefferson inherited her. Robert Hemings, the first of their six children, was born in 1762. By at least 1775, Hemings appears to have been Jefferson’s enslaved body servant, a position previously held by Jupiter Evans. In 1775 and 1776, Jefferson accompanied Hemings to Philadelphia, and he was described as a “bright mulatto.” In 1775, Jefferson was inoculated against smallpox by Dr. William Shippen, who had inoculated him almost a decade before.
Robert Hemings
Sally Hemings
In American history, Sally Hemings is a well-known African American woman. For more than 200 years, her name has been linked to Thomas Jefferson as his “concubine,” obscuring the truth about her life and identity. Unlike many other enslaved women, Sally Hemings was willing to bargain with her master. When she was free in Paris, the 16-year-old decided to return to Monticello’s enslavement in exchange for “extraordinary rights” for herself and protection for her unborn children.
Sally Hemings