Sally Hemings: Given Her Time

Sally Hemings: Given Her Time is an exciting, concise biography tells that tells the extraordinary tale of Sally Hemings, mother of Thomas Jeffersons enslaved children.

Born on the eve of the American Revolution, the war hung over Sally Hemings childhood. As a teenager, she travelled to Paris to witness the beginning of another revolution. There, she entered a painful bargain and became Jeffersons concubine in exchange for her childrens freedom. Over thirty-six years she gave birth to seven children, buried three, and raised four, all while hoping their father would make good on his promise.

Placing Hemings within the history of American women and slavery, the book acts as an introduction to race, gender, slavery, and freedom in the first fifty years of the American republic. Within this context, Hemings life demands an honest reckoning with the national foundations of race, gender, bondage, and freedom from the vantage of a woman for whom nothing was created equal and for whom life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness came with great costs. This textbook includes study questions for students to consider and documents to encourage students to engage with primary source materials.

Sally Hemings: Given Her Time is an accessible and lively read for students in women and gender studies, womens history, and African American Studies.