Professor of law at new york law school and professor of history at rutgers university, annette gordonreed talks about her new book, emthe hemingses of monticello. It has been 20 years since the historian annette gordonreed published thomas jefferson and sally hemings. Jun, 2018 the work of historian annette gordonreed, including her pulitzer prizewinning 2008 book the hemingses of monticello. Annette gordon reed is a professor of law at new york law school and a professor of history at rutgers university. The hemingses of monticello audiobook listen instantly. Annette gordonreeds collective biography of the hemingses of monticello is an epic tale capturing on the head of a pin, as it were the enormous tragedy that was american slavery, the staggering complexity of the human heart, the sometimes brutal intersections in our lives of race and sex and power, the sting of unrequited longing to be. Gordonreed lawnew york law school, historyrutgers univ thomas jefferson and sally hemings, 1997, etc. Its free and open to the public but space is limited. Annette gordonreed author of the hemingses of monticello.
Sep 29, 2008 annette gordon reed talks about her new book, the hemingses of monticello. Annette gordonreed has written a captivating piece of history about the hemings family, about the way they were inexorably intertwined with the jeffersons well before the sally story, about the feel of what it meant for slaves like the hemingses to live in. Annette gordonreeds riveting history of the hemings family, whose story comes to vivid life in this brilliantly researched and deeply moving work. Dont worry, i wont give away the ending, but gordonreed brings up some intriguing facts and makes some thoughtprovoking observations. Annette gordon reed, is the charles warren professor of american legal history at harvard law school, and professor of history in the faculty of arts and sciences at harvard university and the carol k. In order to convince sally to remain with him, jefferson agreed to grant her extraordinary privileges and to free all her children at age twentyone 326. Expert series the hemingses of monticello with annette. Hemings was the youngest of six children that betty hemings is believed to have had with wayles. An american family by annette gordonreed is the type of biographical history that has sadly been lacking until very recently. Thomas jeffersons new monticello exhibit look closer examines sally hemings, slavery and the healing power of truth.
Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. It recounts the history of four generations of the. The hemingses of monticello, by annette gordonreed, poses and answers a question which should have been asked long ago. Gordon reed s book unravels some of the intricate, often confusing details about exact links and specific relationships. So begins the hemingses of monticello, annette gordonreed s riveting history of the hemings family, whose story comes to vivid life in this brilliantly researched and deeply moving work.
Much anticipated, this book promises to be the most important history of an american slave family ever written. An american family, has helped move the larger public to consensus on. The hemingses of monticello sets the familys compelling saga against the backdrop of revolutionary america, paris on the eve of its own revolution, 1790s philadelphia, and plantation life at monticello. The hemingses of monticello the hemingses of monticello audiobook, by annette gordon reed. An american family is a 2008 book by american historian annette gordon reed. The result is a remarkable book the fruits of intensive research and genealogical detective work. Minneapolis startribune the hemingses of monticello by annette gordonreed, a historian and law professor, is a doorstop corrective to early american history, painting a composite portrait of a family that stood at the wellspring of the jefferson, slave sally hemings, their children and kin fascinate and surprise. Gordonreed has now turned her attention to an even more ambitious project. She won the pulitzer prize in history in 2009 for the hemingses of monticello. Annette gordon reed, winner of a recent macarthur fellowship, discusses her pulitzerprize winning book, the hemingses of monticello.
Jeffersons monticello finally gives sally hemings her place. The hemingses of monticello by annette gordonreed and. Annette s latest book, the hemingses of monticello, comes out september 29th, and there will be a booklaunch event at the library on friday the 26th. The hemingses of monticello by by annette gordonreed. Annette gordonreeds reevaluation of evidence marshaled by historians and biographers to deny the existence of a relationship between thomas jefferson and his slave sally hemings. In the hemingses of monticello, a work based on prodigious research in the voluminous jefferson papers and other sources, she traces the experiences of this slave family over three generations. Amazon, the san francisco chronicle, and a notable book by the new york timestells the story of the hemingses, whose close blood ties to our third president had been systematically expunged from american history until very recently. The hemingses is an evocative recreation of both sides of the hemingsjefferson story. Heavy handed and overly long, annette gordonreeds pulitzer prize winning, the hemingses of monticello, is a chore to read which is probably why it won the pulitzer prize in the first place.
Annette gordonreed, is the charles warren professor of american legal history at harvard law school, and professor of history in the faculty of arts and sciences at harvard university and the carol k. Annette gordonreed traces the experiences of this slave family, and their relationship to the jeffersons, over three generations. In the hemingses of monticello, a work based on prodigious research. Now, historian and legal scholar annette gordon reed traces the hemings family from its origins in virginia in the 1700s to the. An american family, and answers questions at monticello s jefferson library.
In the hemingses of monticello, annette gordonreed looks past. Annette gordon reed has written a captivating piece of history about the hemings family, about the way they were inexorably intertwined with the jeffersons well before the sally story, about the feel of what it meant for slaves like the hemingses to live in virginia and in other places like paris and philadelphia. Hemingses of monticello, the by annette gordonreed. Annette gordonreed talks about her new book, the hemingses of monticello. Winner of the national book award and the pulitzer prize. An american family available in hardcover, paperback, nook book, audio cd. Aug 29, 2008 dont worry, i wont give away the ending, but gordon reed brings up some intriguing facts and makes some thoughtprovoking observations. It would be difficult to exaggerate the importance of the groundbreaking the hemingses of monticello, winner of the national book award for nonfiction. That affair was made public while jefferson was a very visible figure. Although the book presents the most detailed and richly drawn portrait ever written of sarah hemings, better known by her nickname sally, who bore seven children by jefferson over the course of their thirtyeightyear liaison, the hemingses of monticello tells more than the story of her life with jefferson and their children. Oct 09, 2008 it marks the author as one of the most astute, insightful, and forthright historians of this generation. Most blessed of the patriarchs digs into thomas jeffersons hypocrisy thomas jefferson is one of americas founders and, even after centuries, a mystery.
Reeds book deals with thomas jefferson and the sin of slavery which, inandofitself, is nothing new. Annette gordonreeds the hemingses of monticello examines the state of affairs in eighteenth century. Although the book presents the most detailed and richly drawn portrait ever written of sarah hemings, better known by her nickname sally, who bore seven children by jefferson over the course of their thirtyeightyear liaison, the hemingses of monticello tells more. The work of historian annette gordonreed, including her pulitzer prizewinning 2008 book the hemingses of monticello. Karen white has been narrating audiobooks since 1999, with more than two hundred to her credit. An american family is a 2008 book by american historian annette gordonreed.
Annette gordonreeds national book awardwinning work of history, the hemings of monticello, reconstructs the complex relationship between thomas jefferson and the. The hemingses of monticello by annette gordonreed kirkus. Annette gordonreed is the charles warren professor of american legal history at harvard law school. Jill lepore, the new yorker, the hemingses of monticello, an american family, annette gordonreed.
Not least of annette gordonreeds achievements is her ability to bring fresh perspectives to the life of a man whose personality and character have been scrutinized, explained, and justified. Professor annette gordonreed to give lectures on the. The hemingses of monticello by annette gordonreed, a historian and law professor, is a doorstop corrective to early american history, painting a composite portrait of a family that stood at the wellspring of the jefferson, slave sally hemings, their children and kin fascinate and surprise. Apr 08, 2014 professor of law at new york law school and professor of history at rutgers university, annette gordon reed talks about her new book, emthe hemingses of monticello. What if instead we put the surprisingly welldocumented story of the hemings family front and center. As the hemingses of monticello makes vividly clear, monticello can no longer be known only as the home of a remarkable american leader, the author of the declaration of independence. Aug 24, 2017 sally hemings, thomas jefferson and the ways we talk about our past.
According to the new york times, there is a growing historical consensus among scholars that, as a widower, jefferson had a longterm relationship with hemings, and that he was the father of her six children, born after the death of his wife martha jefferson, who was the halfsister. In the hemingses of monticello, a work based on prodigious research in the voluminous jefferson papers and other. Pforzheimer professor at the radcliffe institute for advanced study. James smethurst, the boston globe the hemingses of monticello by annette gordonreed, a historian and law professor, is a doorstop corrective to early american history, painting a composite portrait of a family that stood at the wellspring of the jefferson, slave sally hemings, their children and kin fascinate and surprise.
Annette gordonreed talks about her new book, the hemingses of monticello an exhaustive study of hemings and her role in the jefferson household. The hemingses of monticello, by annette gordon reed, poses and answers a question which should have been asked long ago. An american family, and answers questions at monticellos jefferson library. It recounts the history of four generations of the africanamerican hemings family, from their african and virginia origins until the 1826 death of thomas jefferson, their master and the father of sally hemings children. Annette gordonreed gives us a scholarly and extensive effort in her latest book, the hemings of monticello. The unusual history of an enslaved family whose destiny was shaped over the course of four decades by thomas jefferson. Minneapolis startribune the hemingses of monticello by annette gordon reed, a historian and law professor, is a doorstop corrective to early american history, painting a composite portrait of a family that stood at the wellspring of the jefferson, slave sally hemings, their children and kin fascinate and surprise. Oct 05, 2008 gordonreed has now turned her attention to an even more ambitious project. Oct 15, 2014 heavy handed and overly long, annette gordon reed s pulitzer prize winning, the hemingses of monticello, is a chore to read which is probably why it won the pulitzer prize in the first place. Historian and legal scholar gordon reed presents this epic work that tells the story of the hemingses, an american slave family and their close blood ties to thomas jefferson.
In the hemingses of monticello, gordonreed goes much further than her previous book in fully imagining the world in which jefferson interacted with his slaves. Now, historian and legal scholar annette gordonreed traces the hemings family from its origins in virginia in the 1700s to the. Gordon reed lawnew york law school, historyrutgers univ thomas jefferson and sally hemings, 1997, etc. This book is not just about thomas jefferson and sally hemings, but much, much more. This epic work tells the story of the hemingses, whose close blood ties to our third president had been systematically expunged from american history until very recently. The hemingses of monticello, annette gordon reed the hemings family as slaves are most famous for their connection with thomas jefferson, of course, because while he owned the family he also had a longterm affair with sally hemings after the death of his wife. When dna evidence corroborated the longstanding rumor of a relationship between thomas jefferson and his slave sally hemings, the news. She will be the harold vyvyan harmsworth visiting professor of.
More than four decades later, the hemingses of monticello. She lives in new york city and cambridge, massachusetts. And in virginia, observes annette gordonreed, a professor at new york law school and member of the history faculty at rutgers, a man who married his deceased wifes sister was engaging in. Her first discussed the specific relationship between jefferson and hemings. Annette gordonreed talked about her book, the hemingses of monticello. She responded to audience members questions following her remarks. Annette gordon reed is the charles warren professor of american legal history at harvard law school. Jeffersons monticello finally gives sally hemings her. Sally hemings, thomas jefferson and the ways we talk about. Aug 06, 2009 annette gordonreed offers a brilliantly evoked, sympathetic portrayal of the african family in jeffersons life. If true, she was threequarters european and a halfsister of martha jefferson. Review of annette gordonreeds the hemingses of monticello. It has been 20 years since the historian annette gordonreed published thomas.
Much anticipated, this book promises to be the most important history. The hemingses of monticello by annette gordon reed, a historian and law professor, is a doorstop corrective to early american history, painting a composite portrait of a family that stood at the wellspring of the jefferson, slave sally hemings, their children and kin fascinate and surprise. Gordon reed also carefully follows the genetic trail of the hemingses from their origins in virginia during the 1700s on through their dispersal after the death of jefferson in 1826. The hemings family as slaves are most famous for their connection with thomas jefferson, of course, because while he owned the family he also had a longterm affair with sally hemings after the death of his wife. Annette gordon reed s collective biography of the hemingses of monticello is an epic tale capturing on the head of a pin, as it were the enormous tragedy that was american slavery, the staggering complexity of the human heart, the sometimes brutal intersections in our lives of race and sex and power, the sting of unrequited longing to be. Gordonreeds work examined a contention that had long been rumored but. Not least of annette gordonreeds achievements is her ability to bring fresh perspectives to the life of a man whose personality and character have been scrutinized, explained, and justified by a host of historians and biographers. Now, historian and legal scholar annette gordon reed traces the hemings family from its origins in virginia in the 1700s to the familys dispersal after jeffersons death in 1826. Join the national archives as we welcome annette gordon reed to discuss her book, the hemingses of monticello, and explain the untold history of our third president, thomas jefferson. Annette gordonreed, winner of a recent macarthur fellowship, discusses her pulitzerprize winning book, the hemingses of monticello. Annette gordonreed is a professor of law at new york law school and a professor of history at rutgers university. An american controversy, which challenges prevailing arguments against jeffersons paternity of hemingss children and detailing oversights and bias. New monticello exhibit takes a closer look at sally.
Sally hemings came to jeffersons home as an infant with her siblings and her mother, betty, as part of his wife marthas inheritance of slaves from her father, john wayles. Annettes latest book, the hemingses of monticello, comes out september 29th, and there will be a booklaunch event at the library on friday the 26th. The hemingses of monticello audiobook, by annette gordonreed. Sally hemings, thomas jefferson and the ways we talk about our past. Sep 22, 2008 annette gordonreed talks about her new book, the hemingses of monticello an exhaustive study of hemings and her role in the jefferson household. Pulitzer prize winner annette gordonreed reflects on her personal.
Hemingses of monticello, the by annette gordonreed reading. Reed s book deals with thomas jefferson and the sin of slavery which, inand of itself, is nothing new. She is the author of thomas jefferson and sally hemings. Interview with professor annette gordonreed of harvard law school and the faculty of. More than a decade ago, historian and law professor annette gordonreed triggered a firestorm in academic circles with her book thomas jefferson and sally hemings. Nov 27, 2008 annette gordon reed s national book awardwinning work of history, the hemings of monticello, reconstructs the complex relationship between thomas jefferson and the family he sired through his. Annette gordonreed offers a brilliantly evoked, sympathetic portrayal of the african family in jeffersons life.