Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy by Annette Gordon-Reed

"Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy" is an engrossing and well-written work from Annette Gordon-Reed, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and the Charles Warren Professor of American Legal History at Harvard Law School. Released in 1997, this book sparked an ongoing debate about Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with his slave, Sally Hemings.

In "Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy," Gordon-Reed masterfully recounts the history of Jefferson, the Hemings family, and the controversy that has surrounded them ever since it was first suggested in the late 18th century that Jefferson may have been involved in a long-term intimate relationship with Hemings. Through her researched, Gordon-Reed discusses theirsrelationship within a larger historical context, drawing on an array of primary and secondary sources.

At its center, the book examines the evidence that Thomas Jefferson had a romantic relationship with Sally Hemings and may have fathered some of her children. Gordon-Reed suggests that because Thomas Jefferson's legacy as the author of the Declaration of Independence and a champion of slave emancipation has been so broadly accepted and celebrated over the years, many have found the idea of a relationship between Jefferson and Hemings hard to accept and have often sought to discredit those who raised the question. She documents how the story has played out in the public arena over the past two centuries, and how it continues to have an influence in contemporary debates about race and history.

Gordon-Reed uncovers a complex web of racial, social, and legal entanglements in her analysis and ultimately comes to the conclusion that the relationship between the pair was indeed intimate in nature. Her argument is persuasive, and she offers an insightful look into the crisis of America's identity as a nation founded on the belief that "all men are created equal" while simultaneously denying basic freedoms to African-Americans and other people of color.

The book is invaluable for its perspectives on race, politics, and gender in early American history and is highly recommended for all those interested in Jefferson, Hemings, and their often overlooked contribution to the founding of the United States. Gordon-Reed does an incredible job of shedding light on the controversy surrounding Thomas Jefferson and the Hemings family and their legacy in American history. She avoids romanticizing their relationship and instead offers a balanced, thoughtful and compelling account that looks at the complexities and nuances of their unique, yet intertwined lives.