Topic: Sally Hemmings

2 chapters across the catalog

98: Mixed Up
• 53:26 - 59:04

98: Mixed Up

Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemmings and the Fawcett Descendants

The segment examines the lineage of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings through the story of James Clark, a descendant of Peter Fawcett. Despite having original slave papers signed by Jefferson, Clark remained illiterate, highlighting the systemic denial of education. The hosts also reference a Saturday Night Live sketch to illustrate the long-standing public awareness of Jefferson's relationships with enslaved women at Monticello.

98: Mixed Up
• 1:05:29 - 1:17:35

98: Mixed Up

American Scandal, Coercion and the French Fabric Trap

A clip from the 2000 production *American Scandal* depicts a confrontation between Sally Hemmings and her mother. The mother warns Sally that "fine things are traps" and that her "proper English and French clothes" do not change her status as a slave. The hosts discuss the nature of consent under the coercion of slavery and the mother's advice to get freedom for her children in writing.